"I didn't know you were so good at cooking!" Komachi said as she shoveled another spoon of food into her mouth. She liked to consider herself decent at cooking, but with Yumiko's help, breakfast had turned out much better than she expected it to.
Yumiko gave a nervous chuckle at the younger girl's praise, she couldn't recall a time she got praised for much else other than her looks. "T-Thanks, I usually end up cooking for myself since my parents are always busy." She managed a grateful smile.
The unlikely trio ate together at the dining room table, and even Komachi had to admit that this was unusual. She'd have expected to see Yui or Yukino being invited over rather than a girl she had never seen or heard of before. It made her just as curious and wonder:
What exactly was her connection to her older brother? As much as she loved him, Komachi was well aware that her brother's personality left much to be desired, so what did such a kind and pretty girl have to do with him? Although Yumiko had specified that she and Hachiman weren't friends, her question still stood firm.
Still, Komachi thought that her older brother being comfortable enough to invite another girl home was a step in the right direction, though he probably missed the first few steps; so she decided not to interfere or pry. That'd probably be the best course of action for now.
After she finished her breakfast, she stood up and put her plate in the sink, before checking her phone, only for her eyes to widen after doing so.
"Crap, I'm late!" She said to herself, gaining the attention of Hachiman and Yumiko.
"Late for what?" Her having plans made it more convenient for the 'teaching' that would end up happening today.
"I'm meeting with Taishi-kun and some more friends at the mall today! I'll see you later Onii-chan, Yumiko-san!" She quickly rushed out of the door, shutting it behind her.
'Tch, that insect better not try anything.' Hachiman thought, his eyebrow twitching slightly.
Yumiko sat across from him, wondering why he seemed to look annoyed.
The two finished the rest of their food not too long after Komachi left, leaving them to be faced with the reason Yumiko was at his home in the first place. She inspected her nails before Hachiman gave a sigh, tired of the awkward silence that had ensued in Komachi's absence.
"If we're going to do this, I might as well start with a few questions." Hachiman eventually said, breaking the silence and moving over to the couch.
Yumiko nodded as she followed him, not having any qualms since she certainly didn't know where to start.
"Could you try and explain more about why you think you'd like to be...like me?" He wanted to get a better grasp of her personal feelings on the whole situation, so he could have something to base his conclusions on.
Yumiko looked away, seemingly thinking about something before she began speaking. She couldn't meet Hachiman's eyes for whatever reason, finding it a bit embarrassing to talk about something so personal to him of all people. But still, he seemed to be the person most likely to be able to help.
"I guess..things just seem different than how they used to be. We're in our third year of high school now and our group- no, school just doesn't seem the same. It's like something's different from our first and second years." She had trouble putting her thoughts into words, but she was willing to try if it meant he'd be able to help her understand just what she was going through.
"Different as in the people?" Yumiko shook her head at his response.
"No...I think the mood, I guess? I-It feels like I don't have much of a place in our group anymore. Don't get me wrong, it's not because of them. I just feel like something's changed, and they still talk and act like things are the same as they've always been. So I guess it's just something wrong with me then..." Yumiko looked down at her fingers and started playing with them. It was a nervous habit Hachiman didn't know she had.
Hachiman still couldn't get a grasp on why she was feeling the way she was, so he decided to ask her a pretty sudden and straightforward question. Figuring they'd make the most progress that way.
"Say, Miura. Do you still have feelings for Hayama?" Yumiko's face shot up and her eyes widened, a small blush spreading to her face.
"E-Eh?! I-I'm not sure. During our first and second year, I always thought he was c-cool and reliable. But.."
"But?"
"Sometimes it feels like he's hiding something, like the things he does and says don't match his expressions. L-Like he's putting on an act..." She said as if she suddenly came to a revelation.
Hachiman was a bit surprised to hear this coming from her if he was being honest. She seemed to be head over heels for him during their first and second year, but it was about time she finally realized his true nature. Though there was one more thing he was curious about.
"And I'm assuming you don't feel like there's a place for you in the group anymore, right? Like you're being left behind?"
"H-How did you-" Her eyes shot up.
"Miura, what do you usually do outside of socializing?" Yumiko curiously raised an eyebrow at the sudden question but answered nonetheless.
"I usually look through magazines for clothes I'd look good in or makeup that'd look nice..." When Hachiman stared at her without saying anything she averted her gaze once again.
"Is there anything you do in your free time that doesn't involve socializing or outward appearances?"
"I-I don't think so..." She considered bringing up Tennis but she only played because it seemed to boost her popularity. It just so happened that she was good at it.
Hachiman sighed, shaking his head. No wonder she was feeling the way she was. She'd spent the majority of her high school years focusing on relationships that probably wouldn't last and how everyone else perceived her. She didn't even have anything she did for fun that didn't somehow involve other people.
That wasn't even the end of it. He guessed that she'd gotten less attention then she did the years prior, which naturally made sense. Everyone was in their last year of high school. Most students were preparing for college entrance exams and were beginning to mature beyond the point where they cared about shallow things such as appearances or coolness. As a result, Miura had seemingly gotten acknowledged considerably less than she had during her first and second year.
She hadn't gotten the chance to find the things she liked and disliked because she was too busy focusing on what other people liked. Then, when people seemed to care less and less about who was the most popular and how to be friends with them, she was left with nothing but an identity crisis.
He looked at the fidgeting girl before responding. "Miura, I don't think I need to teach you how to be a loner."
"B-But you said-!"
"I know what I said. And I'm not saying I won't help you, but I think you have a different issue." His interruption silenced her, and she waited for him to continue.
"I'm guessing you feel like you need to constantly keep up with whatever's 'in', or what other people like. Well let me just say this; you don't. A year from now, everyone who cared about how pretty or popular you were will have forgotten about you. And you might even have trouble staying close to the people in your clique. They'll have moved on to doing things they're passionate about, and you'll be stuck wondering where the time went. Don't waste your time with other people, find out what you want to do in the future, before it's too late." She might take a bit harshly, but he didn't want to sugarcoat it or else she might get the wrong idea.
"B-But..how do I do that? Are you saying I've just been wasting my high school years?"
"That's not for me to decide. What matters is you deciding how to start spending the rest of your life. No one's asking you to have a full, detailed plan. Just try and at least use this year to find out what you'd be interested in doing, and set goals to follow, even if they're small." Hachiman was going to leave it at that, but suddenly remembered his time in middle school, and how alone he was during that time. "You won't be alone...I did say I'd help, and luckily for you, I don't go back on my word too much." It was the closest she'd ever get to him comforting her, so he hoped it was good enough.
Yumiko stared at him for a few seconds and let a small smile form on her face. "Thank you, Hikio. I'm not sure why, but I had a feeling you'd be able to help."
Yumiko was grateful to the loner, for helping her make sense of what she was feeling, what she'd been agonizing over for the past month. He didn't have the best reputation, and there were still a few things she'd say was wrong with that personality of his.
But despite all of that, she thought he was a pretty reliable person, someone that could care about others, even though he didn't seem like it.
'Why does it feel like I got the secret ending in a dating sim? For someone who seemed like they'd be an antagonist, I wouldn't be able to tell now.' Hachiman thought as she thanked him.
"Don't mention it. Speaking of, is there anything at all you've been interested in, even a little? It doesn't matter whether it's a hobby or a potential career choice."
Yumiko played with her blonde drills as she thought about his question. "W-Well, I guess I've thought a bit about teaching little kids..." She remembered a time in her second year of middle school when she'd volunteered to tutor at a local elementary school, before she'd gone full force into the whole popularity thing. She still remembered a few of the kids that looked up to her back then. "Also, Ebina once showed me a game that seemed to look fun..."
"Well at least it doesn't seem like she's completely hopeless." He thought.
"Then for now, why don't we try and pursue that for now? I'm sure some schools could use tutors. As for video games...I have some in my room if that's something you'd be interested in trying." He suggested, deciding not to make a big deal of the fact that he'd just invited a girl into his room. Especially when the two were alone.
The point of this whole ordeal was for her to find a way to be happy with her life without having to worry about what other people thought of her or without needing to be with other people to have fun.
"Sure, that doesn't sound too bad." She gave a small nod, and the two made their way upstairs.
Yumiko hadn't been in a guy's room before, but she had to admit, she was pretty excited for what was to come. It seemed like maybe, just maybe, she had reason to be hopeful.
"No, you press back twice to do a bicycle kick!"
"I don't know what that is! How did he freeze me?!" Yumiko cried as she pressed any button in an attempt to ward off the character that was in the process of slamming her character's head into a car.
"You have to dodge! Use your fireball!" Hachiman tried to explain.
"How do I do that-?! Well, it's over now anyways." Yumiko sighed and set down the controller as she and Hachiman watched the other character decapitate hers.
"This game is very...graphic." She shivered at the amount of blood the screen showed. The game was much too action-packed for her tastes, but she didn't dislike it.
"If you think that's bad, wait until you see the girl that can control blood." Yumiko gave an incredulous look at Hachiman.
"The girl that can do what?! Don't you have any better games? Ones that don't involve fighting?" She asked. Hachiman thought for a bit before walking over to his drawer and pulling out a case.
"This is the only game I have that's not action based.." He held up the game to her.
"You've been placing blocks down for the past 20 minutes, do something else!" His eyebrow twitched as he watched the sun rise in the game for the second time.
"I can't! What kind of person goes adventuring without a house?! I'm almost done anyways!" She placed the final dirt block down, completing her dirt house.
"I feel like I'd rather be homeless than live in a dirt house."
"Don't judge me, it's my first time!"
Her response elicited a small chuckle from him as her eyes stayed glued to the screen. The two sat on his bed, a controller in Miura's hands and a can of MAXX COFFEE in Hachiman's.
He had to admit, this was pretty fun.
A/N: If I'm being honest, I feel like this story could end with the two being close friends, rather than lovers. It could go both ways, but which would you rather see? I'm curious.
