The towering buildings of Tokyo, and the light they emit can be seen from outer space. The capital of Japan, and also home of the current Emperor, it is no doubt one of the most famous cities on Earth.
It is inhabited by millions of Japanese citizens, as well as tourists that visit the city for its iconic places.
Thus, Tokyo wields a large number of hotels in the region.
Of these hotels, a small number carries prestige, extravagance and luxury known throughout Japan and around the world.
And within one of these hotels, hold our protagonist. Staring silently into the sky of Tokyo…
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
I look down on the view below me, we are at the 45th floor of our hotel room.
Cars down the road, some stuck in traffic.
Crowds of people waiting for the stop sign on the road, and walking together in unison to cross it, almost like a hive-mind. They are so small that they look like ants.
Numerous buildings, holding massive billboards advertising products and services. From shampoo, smartphones, apartments and universities, to travel packages, hotels and telecommunications.
I crane my head above, and see airplanes flying off to who knows where…
The cloudy sky above, the sunbeams peeking from the gaps between the clouds…
Looking straight, the peak of Mt. Fuji, if today was around mid-November, snow would have covered its peak by now.
To my left lies the direction of the Emperor's Palace and Meiji Shrine. It's probably packed with tourists right now. Meiji Shrine of course, the Palace is forbidden to outsiders.
To my right, if I stand on my tip toes, I can see the top of Tokyo Tower.
I sigh, my breath lightly covering the glass with moisture, only to disappear instantly.
"Dad, why are we here?"
I heard a grunt behind me, and the sound of something collapsing on a bed.
"How many times do I have to tell you? We're here for a business trip. I've been invited so I brought you along with me." My Father replied.
"You didn't even tell me. After I did the chores, you came home and surprised me by saying, "Pack up your clothes, we're going to Tokyo.", and here we are, that was only an hour and a half ago, by the way."
I turned around and went to the nearby leather single-sofa and pushed it towards the window so I can sit down while watching the view. Also opening a few buttons on my dress shirt in the process.
"Yes, I'm sorry for disturbing your alone time on a pleasant early Sunday morning, but I just had to bring you with me! I want you to see what I do." My Father said.
"Seeing you attend a party with influential people and chat with them, while sipping wine to keep up appearances?" I picked up my water bottle and began to drink, I haven't had any water since we arrived so my throat was dry.
"Don't forget the chance to meet with prospective business partners!" He added.
I turned around and gave him an accusing look.
"Oh, come on, don't give me that look. You know how Komachi might get a bit uncontrollable, plus she's too young to attend events such as these. So, by process of elimination, you were best option."
"What about Mom?"
"I don't want to trouble your mother any further. She's already a lot busier at the weekends. Knowing her, she would insist that you would come here with me." My father sighed as he began taking off his black coat jacket. He took them off and put them in the fancy closet, leaving him with a white long sleeved formal shirt and a red tie.
I gave no retort, seeing that he was actually right.
I sighed…
But still…
I even forgot to bring Vita-chan with me!
I could be going for one of the girls in my dating sim game!
The friendly and hyper childhood friend.
The tsundere loli.
The shy and smart quiet girl.
And of course, the last one, who for some reason, provides no route and options whatsoever, should you choose to court her…
Strange…
"Hachiman, the schedule of events later this evening is inside this folder." My father said as he handed me fancy looking folder with over the top designs.
"I'll be out for a bit, I still have to wait for my other business associates…" my father added as he went to the door, I can practically see his aura of exhaustion emit him.
The man just wants to rest a bit and you take it away from him! Who does his associates think they are huh?!
"Ah, ok. See you later." I called out as I heard the door to our room close.
Sigh
I take out my phone, out of boredom and see that I had missed a call from Mom.
Pressing dial, I put the phone to my ear and wait for her to answer.
After several moments, she finally picked it up.
"Hello, Hachi-kun! How is Tokyo?"
"Good morning Mom, Tokyo is fine, I guess…" I say with a disinterested phone as my eyes followed a news helicopter from outside.
"What's with the bored tone? You should be thrilled! You're staying at one of the most expensive hotels in the world! I heard that it's a pretty nice hotel!" My mother said with enthusiasm.
"Just because it's expensive, doesn't mean it's nice. If you take a person's interest on the table, the term "nice hotel" becomes vague and subjective." I reply in a bored tone.
"Geez, there you go again. Stop looking too deeply into things. Anyways, be sure to behave and bring us some souvenirs, ok?"
"Mom, Tokyo is just a train away…" I say while sighing.
"Your Father told me that there's a party later, make sure to be on your best behavior, ok?" Wow she utterly ignored me right there.
"Yes yes…" I feel like a child…
"What are you doing right now?" My Mother asked.
I look at the view in front of me.
"Looking outside the window, on the 45th floor of our hotel room and contemplating the meaning of life." I reply with a sarcastic tone.
"Oh my! That's quite high!" She exclaimed.
"Ok now Hachi-kun, I want you to get up and take a look inside the closet." I raised my eyebrow at her sudden request.
"Why?"
"Just do it, there's a surprise inside~!"
With a sigh, I get up from the comfort of the couch and began to make my way towards the cabinet.
"What's inside?" I asked.
"Just open it!" My Mother said in an impatient tone.
Good grief, it feels like I'm talking to Komachi…
With a push, the cabinet smoothly opened and revealed its interior.
I saw my Father's jacket, a few spare hangers, a metal safe, some towels and two pairs of indoor slippers. Oh, and a fancy looking small box.
After taking a quick look, I judged that there was nothing out of the ordinary, except for the box of course.
"There's nothing here…" I said.
"Look a little closer~."
I oblige, and true to her word, I see something behind my Father's jacket which was in the dark part of the cabinet. I reached into it and took it in my hand.
It was a black formal suit, complete with a red tie and slacks. The soft fabric was pleasant to the touch.
As I was admiring the apparel in front of me, I noticed something near my feet and I crouched down to inspect what it is.
Beautiful black leather shoes were revealed, newly polished and clear of usage. The sleek design and soft footing for the heels made it look more impressive to look at.
This is the kind of shoes James Bond would wear.
As I straightened up, something fell from the pocket of the suit.
I went down and picked it up, it was a piece of paper with some words written on it.
To our wonderful son
We hope you love this gift!
-Love, Mom and Dad
…
…
"I found it." I said in a small voice.
"Wellll?" I mother asked in a teasing tone.
"It's quite nice..."
My Mother began to giggle on the other side of the phone.
"We got that for you a week or two ago. Your father informed me before hand of the event and his plans to bring you along, so we got this for you as a gift."
"A gift for what, exactly?" I asked.
"A gift for having the highest entrance exam scores in Sobou High! You got all of them perfect, Haa-chan!"
I see, so the school notified the parents first huh…
Good grief, here she goes again, with that nickname…
I did not immediately reply, but gave a small smile.
"Well, that's to be expected! It pains me to think that you would think that I would accept something no less of perfection, dear Mother!" I reply in a smug tone.
I hear my Mother laugh at my words.
"But seriously, thank you." I said those words full of conviction and gratitude.
"It's no biggie! You deserve no less, Haa-chan! There's another surprise in there! Do you see a fancy looking small box?" My Mother added.
"Yes, and emphasis on the "fancy" part." I reply as I took the box to my hand.
"Open it!"
Putting down my new pair of shoes, and putting my new suit on to the bed, I make my way to the table.
After sitting down, I began to carefully open the box, curious of its contents.
When I opened it, a very expensive looking watch greeted my sight. I saw the logo of Rolex on it.
The watch was not too big and bulky looking, but neither was it too small. I felt like it would suite my scrawny wrist quite perfectly. The crown of the watch was gold plated, while the glass was nigh indestructible, as stated by the manual that I was currently reading.
That's obviously a lie.
That's marketing right there folks!
Instead of regular numbers, time was presented as Roman numerals that gave it a classier look. I carefully took it from the box and began putting it onto my left wrist.
With a click, the strap was in place, and it was lighter than it looked.
The silver color of the watch shined brightly when aligned with a light source, and made all the more eye-catching.
"Well Haa-chan, how does your new watch feel? Does it suit your style?" she asked.
"Yeah…"
Mom went quiet for a bit before continuing. But I broke the silence first.
"Mom, this is a bit- "she cut me off before I could finish.
"Ara, don't sweat the small stuff Haa-chan! Just take the gifts and wear it with pride!"
Well, with my gifts that I received just now, it makes me uncomfortable that the net worth that I received is SIGNIFICANTLY higher than the yearly income of your everyday average office worker…
"Also, today is an important occasion! Today marks the first of many parties that you have to attend with your father!" My mother said cheerfully.
…
…
…
…
…
What.
It was at this moment, that our main protagonist's mental functions began to break down.
Eventually, Hikigaya Hachiman stopped thinking…
I was dumbstruck.
"Just kidding!" My mother said and broke into laughter.
Ah, I think my mental functions stopped for a moment. I think I saw the gates of Heaven before me…
"Mom, don't make jokes like that please, you don't want to lose your first born due to a heart attack, would you?" I said with a heavy heart.
"Of course not! With that said Haa-chan, your Father and I just wanted you to look and be at your best, that's all!"
"I see..."
From the other side of the phone, I heard someone calling my Mother's name.
"Ah! Hachi-kun, we'll talk later! It looks like it's getting busy on my end!" My mother said with a hint of urgency.
Finally, she dropped that kiddie name…
"Ok Mom."
"Rest up and prepare for this evening, ok? I love you!" My Mother said.
Geez, this is embarrassing.
"I love you too…" I mutter with my cheeks slightly red.
I heard the call drop, and silence returned to our hotel room.
The silence was deafening.
After several moments of collecting my thoughts, I got up and began to carefully store my belongings and went back to my seat in front of the window.
A chill went up my spine as I thought that Mom wasn't kidding on her "joke".
Suddenly, something hit me.
"Wait, Mom called me Haa-chan, but for some reason, someone called me Haa-chan too recently…"
…
…
…
…
"Oh yeah, it was Kei-chan…" I say out loud before the warm embrace of sleep took hold of me.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
I awoke with a start; my phone rang with its message tone.
For a moment, I forgot where I was, and I thought I was kidnapped.
With an audible yawn, I got my phone, that was between my legs for some reason, and opened the notifications.
Sender: Dad
Hachiman, I'm out with a few colleagues for lunch. I called room service to bring your food up.
Nice move Dad.
I immediately sent my reply.
Receiver: Dad
Roger, I just woke up from my nap.
*send*
I looked at the time and it was already 11:00 am.
So, I was asleep for about 2-3 hours, give or take.
Because I woke up early this morning to finish up the chores, and had to travel here by train, I wasn't able to get a wink of sleep by the way, I was basically exhausted when we arrived here with our luggage.
Hmm…
Dad probably placed the gifts here last night, seeing that his company office was here on Tokyo.
Quite crafty, if I say so myself…
I stretched my body and felt joints pop all over the place.
As I got up, I heard the doorbell ring, and made my way towards it.
When I opened it, the hotel staff was standing with my food on the tray.
"Good morning Mr. Hikigaya, your lunch is here." She said.
Nodding at her, I made a move to receive the tray, but she gave me a weird look.
"Sir, let me place it on the table for you."
Oh
*cringe*
Well, that was embarrassing.
Trying to play it cool, I grunted in reply and moved the door wider for her to enter.
She carefully placed the tray on the table and began to make her way back to door.
"Thank you." I said while giving her a slight bow.
"You're quite welcome Sir, enjoy your lunch! If you need anything else, don't hesitate to call the lobby."
I closed the door.
I was honestly thinking on whether I should give her a tip, but then I forgot that we live in Japan where tips are often seen as insulting and offensive to the receiving end.
With that social awkwardness avoided, I walk to the table and begin to inspect the food my father sent. So, I sat down and lifted the tinfoil off the food.
Korean-style spicy grilled chicken topped with herbs and spices, Indonesian chicken curry, three sticks of kebabs with grilled pepper, beef, onion, chicken and pork, a slice of pizza with mozzarella, beef, mushrooms, black eyed peas and onion, a lasagna with some garlic bread, and lastly, a slice of moist chocolate cake.
Oh, and some pineapple juice.
What the heck, there is no rice?! This is ridiculous!
But who am I to complain about free food?
…
…
…
I began my lunch with some lasagna and next up was the Korean-style spicy grilled chicken. At that point, I was full to bursting, so I just grabbed the food and placed them inside the small fridge that was provided inside the room.
They even have a microwave and an electric boiler too, how convenient.
Instinctively, I began to look for some tea to wash the oily and greasy food, but there was none to be found.
Good grief, now I have to go outside…
I texted my Dad that I was going out for a bit, and grabbed the keycard to our room. With the door shut and locked, I made my way to the elevator.
My ears picked up something behind me, and from the corner of my eye, I saw a figure walking towards me.
All thanks to my STAND, [108 Loner Skills], which gave me superior senses due to me being a loner back in middle-school.
My sense of sight was trained due to me trying to remember my classmate's movement patterns in class.
My sense of hearing, always trying to listen on other people's conversations.
My sense of smell, always on alert for farts within my vicinity, because I always get blamed for it.
My sense of taste, constantly fearful and sensitive to the slightest change in flavor because my classmates might have messed with my food.
My sense of touch, heightened when I was still a chunni and I would pretend to feel rocks that I found along the road for prophesies and foretell the future.
*Hikigaya, you sound like the ultimate stalker*
I will take that as a compliment, thank you.
The figure was actually a girl, and she was still several meters away from me. Turning around and ignoring that person, I walk towards the elevator.
Being on the 45th floor can be annoying, the elevator said that it's still on the 15th floor.
Good grief, this is going to take a while…
Once more, I picked up the sound of footsteps behind me, nearing my position.
In a few moments, whoever was walking would be directly behind me.
The girl from earlier stopped to my left, she was waiting for the elevator too. I take a step away from her and begin lightly tapping my foot to the anime intro that was playing in my head.
*Insert Neon Genesis Evangelion OP*
Finally, the elevator doors opened, and revealed to be empty of occupants.
I turned to the girl beside me, and held out my hand to the elevator in front of me in an "After you." gesture.
She acknowledged me with a nod and I followed after her.
"What floor will you be getting off to?" I asked her.
"The café at the 50th floor, if you would." She said in a pleasant voice.
I pressed the button to our corresponding floor and the door to the elevator silently closed in front of us.
She was standing on the leftmost side, looking at the distance.
The elevator had a glass wall so we can see the view as we go up and down the hotel.
For a while, I leaned on my side and stared off into space outside. I discreetly observed the female behind me, and she was showing signs of discomfort.
She wore a yellow polo shirt and white skinny jeans, nothing special, but it was her beauty that caught my attention.
Her long hair, dark as the night, flowed freely and shined in the sunlight that permeated through the windows. One can see at a single glance that her strands of her were silky smooth.
Her fair smooth skin, radiated femininity and purity.
Her pale blue eyes were beautiful, even I can see that from this distance.
The facial features that she possesses would make any woman blue with envy. Her nose was cute, her lips were small and supple and her cheekbones were perfect.
The nape of her neck, lightly covered by the collars of the shirt she was wearing, was immaculate.
But her chest was non-existent.
I quickly looked away, suddenly self-conscious of myself and my surroundings. My hands wandered all over my body by their own, intent on straightening my clothes and making myself look more presentable looking.
I can lightly see my reflection from the glass.
My white long-sleeved dress shirt, which my Father forced me to wear, looked ok, and my black jeans showed no signs of damage. I looked down to take a look at my oxford shoes were and they were looking fine.
Suddenly, my phone rang in my pocket, and it showed that my Father was trying to call me. I pressed the button and put the phone to my right ear.
"Dad, did you need something?" I asked.
"Hachiman, did you already have your lunch?" my Father asked. I can vaguely hear the sounds of people talking in the background.
"Yes, but it was too much so I put it in the fridge. I'm on my way to the cafe to look for some tea."
"I see, I'm in my friend's room right now talking about something important."
"Ok." With that, our brief conversation ended and I closed my phone.
At the same time, the elevator doors opened and in front of us was the lobby.
I briskly walked out, leaving the mysterious girl behind and intent to avoid people now that my social anxiety and self-conscious issues have been activated. I followed the signs to where the café was located.
Several moments after I exited the elevator doors, I now found myself in front of the café establishment within the hotel.
Café Luna…
A member of the staff opened the door for me and led me to a seat near the window at my request. I take a look around, red carpets on the floor, the walls were of cream colored. The bar was at the right side, holding a variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.
The windows were quite large, and a door that leads outside to the balcony can be seen too. There were also tables outside, should a customer decide to sit under the stars.
This place would be nice at night.
All in all, the place had a good ambiance and went well with the slow instrumental music that played in the background. The sunlight pierced through the windows, and I can see dust particles float in the air.
As I sat down, I saw the girl that was at the elevator take a seat a table away from mine. We locked eyes for a few moments, before I was interrupted by the waiter.
"Good afternoon sir, what would you like to order?"
"Black tea please."
With my order on the way, I fished out my phone to kill time. Looking around, it was only me and the girl that was present in the café.
"What about you Ma'am? What would you like to have this afternoon?" I hear the waiter ask the girl.
"Black tea, that's all thank you." She said in a calm voice.
Unfortunately, I did not find something that piqued my interest. But I saw a message from Komachi.
Sender: Silly Imotou
Onii-chan! I forgot to tell you that I had a slumber party at my friend's house yesterday, that's why I wasn't at home last night!
I'm at home watching Pretty Cure with Kei-chan and Kawasaki-nee because I bumped into them this morning when I went back home!
I'm sorry for making you worry, I promise I'll be more careful next time! Kyah! That earned me a lot of Hachiman points!
I-it's not like I was worried about you or a-anything! Idiot!
I am honestly surprised how quickly she can have friends, that's my little sister for you!
I wanted to tell her to record the episode for me to watch when I come back home, but I was scared Kawasaki-san might see the message and call me weird for watching an anime that's targeted to young girls.
A single episode missed is better than the humiliation I might face!
Covering my mouth, I gave a yawn and popped my knuckles. I looked outside and stared off into the sky of Tokyo.
Ah, Mom told me to buy souvenirs…maybe I should buy one for Kei-chan and Kawasaki-san too…oh, I mustn't forget about my cute senpai and kind manager at work…
Sigh…
The things I do for the sake of social norms…
But still, Tokyo is just a train away…
Sigh…
Several minutes later, I hear footsteps coming towards me, and I turn around to see the waiter carrying my order.
"Sorry for the wait Sir." He said while slightly bowing.
I thank him for his service and he leave me to my thoughts.
Because I have a cat's tongue, I take the tea and lightly blow into it to cool it down. Should I immediately sip into it like an unwashed savage, my tongue would be burned and I would be labeled as Red-Tongue-kun.
Finally judging that the tea was safe for drinking, I slowly drink it and savor the bitter taste. I close my eyes and I can already feel the contents within my stomach begin to wash away.
The mysterious girl, however, had yet to touch her drink and was still staring at the scene outside. I heard her sigh, she must be pretty sad or frustrated.
Hmm, I she waiting for someone, I wonder?
With that in mind, I enjoy my tea, while occasionally looking at my phone to check out the latest Light Novel titles.
Suddenly, the door to the café opened, and I turned around to see a girl.
I do a double take because she looks similar to the girl a table away from me. She wore black jacket over a loose white sleeveless blouse, the slim fitting red skirt that enhanced her hips made my brain think of indecent thoughts.
Also, her chest area was quite generous, unlike the girl in front of me…
ZEN MODE!
INNER NIRVANA!
THE MATERIAL PLANE IS TEMPORARY, THE SPIRITUAL PLANE IS INFINITE!
With those thoughts, I take a breath to compose myself and not look like an ogling creep.
They must be sisters. My theory was enforced when she looked around the nearly empty café, and spotted a mop of silky black hair.
"Yukino-chaaaann~!" she called out and went skipping towards the girl sitting near the window. I noticed the girl in front of me give a sigh, and turn her head away from the source of the sudden noise.
Instinctively, I frowned at loud girl, and she noticed my glare.
She gave a wry smile, which I understood as an apology and continued to her destination.
With my enhanced senses, I hear an audible sigh coming from, I assume as the little sister.
"Nee-san, what do you want…" She sighed in exasperation, closing her eyes and putting her hand on her brow.
"Do I need to have an excuse to see my cute little sister?" The older girl said.
I'll just call her Onee-sama.
Onee-sama, step on me please! I am your man-slave and I promise to follow your wishes! Give me the punishment I deserve!
*Hikigaya, we didn't know that you were a sadist and a masochist too…*
Shut up, don't judge me.
I tried to return my attention to my tea, but my ears were unwilling to cooperate.
I hear another audible sigh. That's it, I'm calling you Sigh-san!
Onee-sama, lol, took a seat in front of Sigh-san, effectively blocking my view of Sigh-san's reactions to Onee-sama's provocations.
"Ne, ne, Yukino-chan, Mother and Father received the notice of your entrance exam scores in Sobou High." Onee-sama said as a matter-factly.
What a small world that we live in. For me to meet a fellow student from Sobou High…
Truly, fate weaves our lives in mysterious ways…
"So? You already know that I will get the highe-" Before she can finish her sentence, she was interrupted my Onee-sama.
"Nope."
A silence incurred.
But it was quickly broken by the one who initiated it.
"You see, Yukino-chaaann, I got hold of the rankings, and someone actually got everything perfect! For the first time in your life, someone actually beat you! Don't be sad, you are at 2nd place at least!" Her cheerful way of saying it wasn't affecting the one she's talking too at all. It's almost like she's pouring salt into Sigh-chan's wounds.
But wait, they are low-key talking about me…
"Ah! That's ridiculous, right? He has perfect scores all across the board! Just like me when I took the entrance exam!" She exclaimed.
Ok, now they are talking about me and I am seriously getting creeped out…
"Unfortunately, I was unable to find out what he looks like, or his name. Even the teachers and the principal were reluctant to show me too much personal information." She added.
I decided to listen further.
For the first time, Sigh-san finally spoke, and her tone was not kind.
"And?" she asked coldly.
The older of the duo laughed, her earlier cheeriness and mirth returned.
"Oh nothing! I just wanted to let you know that Mother might not be pleased with this new information!"
Silence…
Deafening silence…
Once again, it was Onee-sama who broke the silence
"Ah, but who knows? She might even ignore the matter completely. The gap between your scores aren't that big anyway." She said.
"I-I see…" Sigh-san said in a small voice, I can almost see her looking at down with a hard expression.
Looking at my watch, which looked impressive by the way, I decided that I spent too much time here, and it was time for me to depart.
"Ah, would you look at the time! Mother would call for me soon, and she would be sour if I was late! Bye bye Yukino-chan! See you later at the party!" With that farewell, Onee-sama took her leave and quickly left the café.
Party? Did she say party?
For the next several minutes, I was trying to make sense on the conversation that I just listened into, but I decided that I shouldn't think too much about it.
Wracking my brain for answers on unknown questions would give me more questions to think on, thus giving me more headaches to bear with.
They are total strangers to me anyway, and it's not like I have any interest in interacting with them later in the party.
Assuming we are going to attend the same party anyway.
With that in mind, I forcefully cleared my mind and I finished the tea and made my way to the counter.
"Please put it on my Father's tab." I said to the bartender.
"Family name please sir?" he asked as he fished out a small piece of paper.
"Hikigaya."
With my purchase verified and noted, I left the café, but not before I took a look at Sigh-san.
She was looking outside the window, her tea, untouched. Her figure unmoving, like a beautiful statue trapped in time.
But even though I can't see her face, I can tell that she was quite upset, judging from how she clenched her right fist and how it shook.
Yukino huh…
Ice Woman…
I turn my back and exit the café.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
I groggily entered our room and placed the bag full of souvenirs on the table.
Then I collapsed into my bed.
Ugh, I'm so tired…
After I departed from the café, I decided to go outside to purchase my Mother's request. I did it now so I can have more time to laze around later.
The souvenir shop that I bought these from was small, but was crowded due to so many tourists in the area.
I think I was cheated on, because the price that I paid for everything was higher than I initially conceived it to be.
Or maybe he made my purchases higher just because he saw me go out of an expensive and prestigious hotel!
Damn crook, I'm never going back to your shop again old man!
I looked at the time, and it was still 2:00 in the afternoon.
Ugh, I'm so bored…
It's still a few hours before the start of the party because I already read the sequence of events for this evening…
7:00 – The party starts receiving guests
8:00 – Introductions
9:30 – VIP speeches
10:00 – Formal Dinner
11:00 – Ball
11:40 – Closing Remarks
Ugh…
I tossed and turn in my bed, but I can't sleep.
Damn, what should I do…
I don't want to go outside…
But there's nothing to do here…
UGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH
In the end, I decided to just read on the internet on what I should expect this evening on fine dining and formal parties.
Table Manners…
Introducing one's self…
How to politely excuse yourself…
Posture and walking…
How to keep a conversation going…
How to talk without sounding like an arrogant aristocratic twat…
How to score a night with a hot mature lady…
Wait, I definitely didn't read that one because it was an obvious clickbait article.
And last, but not the least…
How to properly dance in the Ball and not make a fool out yourself.
Ah damn, I still cringe at myself when I hear the word dance…
It reminded me of my middle-school days when no girl wanted to be my partner so I danced with the air instead…
Truthfully, I was shedding tears at that time…but no one can tell the difference because there was a bonfire…
Tonight, I will avoid the dancefloor at all costs!
But wait…
You don't have to worry about dancing at a ball when no girl wants to dance with you!
*Oi Hikigaya, that was pretty logical if you think about it, but the way you said it made it sad and depressing…*
Ah, who cares about that!
With that in mind, I reached inside the refrigerator to get the chocolate cake that I saved during lunch. I picked it up and went back to the leather single-sofa that was positioned in front of our large window.
It was still 3:00, and the sky of Tokyo was still rather cloudy.
I took a bite from the cake, it was good, but not really something amazing, but I enjoyed it regardless.
My thoughts went back to what happened at the café…
Those two girls definitely weren't on the friendliest of terms, and I can definitely feel bad vibes from the older one…
*Hikigaya, you should stop giving people weird nicknames, especially "Onee-sama"*
Come on, that was a harmless joke on my part.
I can't help but think about those two girls, a voice in the back of my head keeps telling me to be wary of people like them.
Why am I even worrying myself with these thoughts? They are complete strangers to me and their business is not mine to bother.
I can feel the slightest hint of drowsiness somewhere inside me.
With that in mind, I reclined the sofa so I can have a better sleeping position.
It's still hours before the party, might as well sleep and conserve my energy…
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Happy New Year Everyone!
Finally! The Yukinoshita sisters have been seen!
You might have noticed that this chapter was shorter than the usual amount. I decided to stop here because, next chapter is going to be on Komachi's POV.
I'm really excited to write Kawasaki-san and Kei-chan's part in the next chapter.
Well, that's all I want to say for now.
Expect the next chapter to be released around next week!