Damnit, I should have (not) stayed up until 2am playing that damned game! I admit that I had fun, but now I'm going be late for my first class!
Komachi already left, Dad hasn't been home in a week and Mom is still sleeping.
Kamakura! You should have woken me up! You bad kitty cat!
I hurriedly took a bath and brushed my teeth, when I got out of the bathroom, Mom was at the kitchen brewing herself a cup of coffee.
"Morning Haa-chwan~…Do you want some coffee?" she yawned tiredly.
"Morning Mom, I'm gonna be late. See you later." I grabbed a piece of toast and put it in my mouth. Before she can even fully comprehend my words, I rushed passed her and went outside to get my bike.
"Bike-chan, show me the meaning of haste…"
And then I began to pedal like there's no tomorrow as if attempting to break the sound barrier with my bike.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Hikigaya! You're fifteen minutes late!" Hiratsuka-sensei said when I opened the door to our classroom.
"Please forgive my tardiness." I mutter in a bored manner. That was a mistake, for I saw the signs of annoyance on her face.
She looked as if she was an inch away from hitting me with a book, but she looked in the direction of Yukinoshita-san with a suspicious grin.
She's up to something…
"Yukinoshita, did the class already select the male class representative?"
The girl then put a hand under her chin and thought for a moment.
"Not yet, I believe…"
Sensei's grin got wider at her reply.
I have a bad feeling about this.
"Then, as punishment, I want you to be the male class rep."
What the…
"Sensei, I believe that the voice of the people need to be heard, we are following a democratic system, are we not?" I say quickly.
Ha! Take that!
She gave a small scowl at my reply and turned to the class once more.
"Class, do any of you have any complaints about Hikigaya being the class rep?" she asked.
Everyone shook their heads, but I feel that they couldn't care less as to who took that responsibility.
What is this?! My plan backfired?!
"Yukinoshita?" Hiratsuka-sensei asked.
"I…have no qualms…" she said in a defeated manner.
"Good grief…" I mutter. This morning just HAD to start like this.
"What was that?!"
"Nothing!" Stop being so angry geez…
"That's what I thought, now greet your new partner!"
This day has started getting worse by the hour…
"I look forward to working with you…" My mouth tasted bitter when I said those words.
"I as well…" Yukinoshita muttered.
Of all people, why did it have to be her?!
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Hikigaya-kun, it would be best if you don't walk too closely to me. I might get infected with your germs." She said as she cringed away from me.
"Ah, I see. I forget that a sheltered princess such as yourself has such a non-existent immune system." I silently complied to her request.
"Your germs are too advanced and complex for our current technology to effectively build a defense against." She said coldly.
"Hoh, and how did you know that? Did you get a sample of my hair? Saliva? Sweat? Did you analyze them thoroughly to come up with that conclusion? I must say, Yukinoshita-san, that is a very strange hobby that you have." I had to smirk at her with my retort.
"That is disgusting, but you just implied that you do have germs." I thought she was about to give a smirk of her own, but she stopped herself from doing so and resumed looking straight ahead.
"We do have bacteria on our body yes, but not all of them are germs. There's good bacteria too, y'now." Don't generalize that all bacteria are bad just because of a few bad ones!
"Do not lecture me on biology, I believe we discussed this already in class. We had a quiz about this."
Yes, and we both had perfect scores.
Our conversation stopped there as we continued walking to the faculty room to get the class handouts. Lunch break just started, so many students are roaming around the corridors.
A few of them were murmuring amongst each other as their eyes watched us from afar. They were probably shocked at how ghoulish I looked because of my lack of sleep.
I mean, if I was a ghoul, I would have to go to the funeral homes to eat dead bodies, but that sounds like a chore.
Ugh, I haven't had lunch nor breakfast yet.
As I was thinking about what food to eat, my stomach had to imitate the music of its people.
"…"
"…"
My face was the usual poker emotionless poker face, yet my mind was thinking of ways on how to effectively crawl into a hole and bury myself in shame. I'm thankful that Yukinoshita-san isn't one of those teasing-types.
If it was Shiromeguri-senpai or Haruno-san, they would have teased me until I wanted shave my head, change my name and move to China.
I reached the door to the faculty room and knocked before opening the door.
"Hikigaya, I'm right here." Hiratsuka-sensei called out to us when we saw her.
"I already photocopied this, all you have to do is to distribute it among your classmates."
It was a big stack of papers and I divided it equally between myself and Yukinoshita-san.
"Just come back here later, go eat your lunch first." Hiratsuka-sensei said.
"Hmmm." She gave me a searching look at my reply.
"Oi, are you ok? You look pale." She said in a concerned tone as she winced at me.
"I'm alright." I say, though I know that I looked otherwise.
"And I'm guessing that you haven't had breakfast yet, right."
"W-Well…"
"And you're late because you stayed up all night. Playing games or reading manga?"
"U-Umm-"
"Don't give me that look, I was a student once too, you know. Those are fun and all but don't forget to get a good night's sleep. I don't have to tell you to study harder since your grades are already the highest in the class."
Yukinoshita-san, who was really quiet, frowned at Sensei's words. Still the competitive type, are we?
"Don't worry Yukinoshita, your grades aren't that far behind from his. Oh, I almost forgot." Sensei reached into her pocket and fished out two small papers for us.
"These are lunch stubs that I bought yesterday and seeing that I already bought some fast food with me, you can have this."
Nice! Free food!
"Thank you, Hiratsuka-sensei." I say as I was trying to hold back my tears of joy.
"You're welcome. Now go to the cafeteria and eat, you look like you're going to collapse any second now."
We said our goodbye and exited the faculty room. I handed Yukinoshita-san her lunch stub but she politely declined.
"Cafeteria food is unhealthy." She said.
"If you say that near any of the school cooks, you're going to get in trouble." I warn her as I reflect on a similar experience back in middle-school.
During middle-school at lunch time, I always ate by myself. At one point, I caught a bunch of classmates putting stuff on my food. That was the last time that I ate a proper meal at the cafeteria.
After that, I only bought Yakisoba bread and milk in a small carton.
But at least I had a lot of savings at home.
"As a manner of fact, it is unhealthy." She insisted.
"Fine, have it your way." A moment after I said that, a stomach growled in anger, but it was not mine.
"…"
"…"
"Give me that…" she said in a cold and commanding voice, but her face sported an embarrassed blush.
"…" I handed her her's without a word, I wasn't about to tease her, seeing that she didn't tease me earlier.
I stand true to my words, I only attack when I am provoked.
Without further exchange of words, we went to the cafeteria together.
A truce, between the King of Hollows, and the Queen of Ice.
Wow that was a pretty cringy name and now I regret saying it.
However, when we reached our destination, I forgot to anticipate the sheer number of students in the area. Crowds made me uncomfortable and dizzy, and I unconsciously stepped back.
Curiously, the girl beside me did the same, although her expression said that she was way more distraught than I was.
"That's alot of people…" I mutter as I observed some upperclassmen accidentally shoving aside a fellow student.
"Indeed…" Her small voice barely above a whisper.
Without a word, I snatch her meal stub.
Whoosh
"W-What are you-"
"Go look for a table, it's easier this way. It's impractical if we both go together and there's no tables left. One of us has to get the food while the other looks for a vacant table." I cut her off before she can reply.
She frowned at my actions with a disapproving stare, but finally accepted and excused herself to do her part.
I was afraid that she might start arguing with me again, and we might cause a scene.
And pulling more attention towards myself is definitely not one of my objectives to day.
I watch her walk away, her black hair swaying as she walked.
After several minutes of waiting in line, I finally get our lunches composed of steamed vegetables, some beef curry and some tea. I spotted her sitting alone in the corner just staring off into space.
I placed our food on the table in front of her. She didn't notice my approach and was startled at my sudden appearance.
"Don't do that." she said as I placed her food in front of her like a good waiter.
"Do what?" I ask as I placed mine.
"Never mind…" she replied in an exasperated manner. Good grief, what have I done now…?
I sat down and observed that we were the only ones that were occupying the table, the nearest occupied table was two tables away. I could see some students, mostly girls, giving us curious looks and whispering amongst each other.
I swear, if I catch wind of any weird rumors…
""Itadakimasu…"" We both said in unison and started eating.
We were silent the entire time, but the silence was comforting. Quite the opposite from the chatter of our fellow students around us.
She had an air of elegance when she ate, every movement with her hands was well-rehearsed and even the way she opened her mouth was very ladylike.
She caught me looking at her and raised an eyebrow with a slightly annoyed look. I just shook my head in reply and resumed eating.
"The food was good." I say after finishing mine.
"It's…satisfactory, to say the least." she said.
After elegantly wiping her mouth with a table napkin, she looked around us and had a look of mock-surprise on her eyes.
"Ara, it looks like you managed to trick an elegant young lady like myself to eat with you. You even managed to manipulate me into finding a table where we can have privacy. I never knew that you were this cunning, Hikigaya-kun." Her eyes held the familiar glint whenever we would exchange cold and fiery words.
Here we go again…
"My mind is as sharp as that tongue of yours, Yukinoshita-san."
"Hoh, I fear for my life, now that you caught me alone and vulnerable."
There she goes again, branding me as some sort of sexual deviant…
"Do not worry Yukinoshita-san, Ojou-sans are not to my liking. Cease the fear in your heart for I will escort you to your Lord father immediately, I hope he has the ransom gold." she had a small smirk at my reply.
"Though I must ask, why, as an heir to your House, do you act…the way you are right now?" I inwardly smiled at her reply. It's good that she caught on the flow quickly.
I understood what she meant of course, and I already had an answer prepared just in case she asked me that.
"I am free as the wind and not bound to any social obligations and whatnot. My Lord father gives me his utmost trust, and for that he has my sincerest gratitude."
She frowned at my reply and looked down with a thoughtful expression.
Hey what's with that look?
The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch break. The students around us began to get up.
"Hey, we should go…" I tell her.
"Hmm…"
I picked up our used utensils and brought it to the kitchen staff. Yukinoshita-san tried to deny my help at first, but she gave up when I refused to listen to her.
We both walked back to our classroom eager to resume classes.
"Hikigaya-kun…"
"Hmm?" I turned to her with an eyebrow cocked.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome." I reply as I returned facing forward.
We might throw each other insults and taunts, but we both knew that it was just for amusement. I can see that she enjoys our verbal battles, and I do too.
It's good to speak with someone who thinks on the same wavelength as you.
Now that I think about it, today was the first time in my life that I had lunch with a classmate…
And enjoyed it…
"Hikigerma-kun, I thought i told you now to stand too close to me? Is a simple instruction like that so hard to follow?"
Tch, this damn girl never gives me time to rest, doesn't she?
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Ugh, I hate this.
The night air is hot and damp it feels gross and heavy. I think I just produced a gallon worth of sweat walking to Mom's cafe from the station. I received a text from Dad that we're going to eat outside tonight. He hasn't shown up in a week and he suddenly throw this surprise at me?
Good grief, and here I was about to go home and continue playing the new hyped MMORPG that came out last week. My character was a healer, one of the most sought-after party members, but also the most underappreciated class at the start of the game.
The warrior class is too mainstream and it's always in the center of attention. I prefer hanging in the back and doing my part from the background.
Our raid last night went great, and everyone congratulated each other. Although no one congratulated me…
The only one that congratulated me was the in-game notification…
After that, my party members decided to send each other friends requests, and of course, as expected, no one sent me one.
Bah! I don't need them!
If I can level up high enough, I can upgrade to the crusader or paladin class! The former boasts strong healing spells and a large health pool, while the latter has average healing spells but has higher damage output.
I don't need party members! I'll do it myself as I've always done!
I'm thinking of taking the crusader class, in a war of attrition, its more practical to get the sub-class that can take the most hits than the enemy.
As I was running numerous simulations on my head on how to level up more efficiently, three students in front of me caught my attention.
Two were males while the third one was a female.
The males wore an unfamiliar uniform, and I guessed that they were from another prefecture or maybe a school that I didn't recognize here in Chiba.
I made a detour because I checked out the local manga store, so now I was walking in a dimly lit area with only a few people around from the maid road.
As I got closer however, the female's uniform began to get clearer.
It was a uniform of Sobou High.
"Hey there missy, you wanna come with us?"
"Come on let's have fun!" The two males insisted as the took a step towards the girl, which made the latter step back in caution.
"H-Hey! Stop bothering me you creep!" The girl sounded fierce, but I can hear the fear in her voice.
This looks like a typical scene you would see in a TV series…
*Hikigaya, aren't you going to help her? *
Ugh…
"Hey, what's going on here?" I call out in a demanding manner. Three heads faced me and the two males look surprised at the sudden entrance of a stranger.
The girl turned to me and her eyes went wide. Does she recognize me from school?
"Haah? Mind your own business wimp." The aggressive males approached me and I had to internally sigh at the situation.
In the animal kingdom, male gorillas or lions would always have displays of strength when threatened, only doing violence as a last resort. Male gorillas would thump their chests and charge towards the threat, while male lions would roar and charge too.
But they would hesitate when they realize that the target is unafraid of them.
Maintaining eye-contact means that you are unafraid and makes you look threatening. While not moving from your spot means that you are unaffected by their displays of intimidation.
Doing this while make them feel intimidated, and they might even back down.
It's the same in Humans.
I am doing my best into intimidating them out of this, if all else fails, well, it looks like I'll gave to use the things that Tatsumi-sensei taught me at the studio…
The two of them approached me, as though sizing me up. The three of us were roughly the same height and build.
"You misunderstand, this is my business, the girl that you are harassing is a schoolmate of mine." I say in a flat tone.
With a small movement with my head, I signal the girl to get behind me, which she quickly does.
But her wrist was grabbed by one of the boys.
"H-Hey! Let go of me!" She yelled.
"Stop that." I say while trying to make myself sound more intimidating.
"Oh? And what are you going to do about it?" One of them cheekily asked.
You might be suggesting that I would use violence, but I won't. Honestly, what kind of hooligan would go around picking fights? That would only make me look like a common delinquent.
I have more important things to do than dirty my hands with this nonsense.
Important things like playing on my Vita-chan, for instance.
"Maybe I can talk you out of this." I said in a calm manner.
"Fine, give me 10000 yen and me and my friend here will be on our way." They gave me an shit-eating grin.
"Resorting to robbery? That's a crime." I replied.
"No shit Sherlock."
"And crime could get you in jail." I told them flatly, though the weight behind my words were heavy.
"If you get in jail now, you would get a criminal history. When your schoolmates catch wind of that, your reputation will go down the drain and you might get shunned by the entire school. You might be barred from enrolling in certain collages because of that record. No college means no job. No job means no future." I say in a cold tone that would make Yukinoshita-san proud of me.
I can see their resolve falter and his grip loosen on the girl's wrist.
Time to use my untested negotiating skills to the maximum.
"Tell you what, here's 2000 yen, go buy dinner or something. Talk with your friend here on why things turned out like this. I'm sure you have better things to do that harassing girls like this, go to the arcade or something, I don't care. You should change for the better...before it's too late." I wordlessly fished out two one thousand-yen bills from my wallet, handed it to them. The guy released his grip on the girl's wrist and quietly took it from my hand.
"..."
"..." They were at a loss on what to say, their faces both held traces of different conflicting emotions. Anger, surprise, sadness, self-disgust and of course, remorse and guilt.
"Goodbye and good luck to the both of you." I say and walk away from them back to the main street. The girl followed close beside me.
When they were out of earshot, I let out a sigh of relief. Damn I was so nervous that my hands started to sweat.
"Umm…" the girl muttered and couldn't look at me straight in the eye.
"Are you alright?" I asked her and she jumped a bit.
"Did they do anything to you?" I ask her again, this time, I couldn't suppress a frown on my normally calm face.
"N-No, they didn't. They just wanted me to go with them…" she said, and this time, I finally got a look at her eyes.
Her green eyes were red, which meant that she was trying her best not to cry. She was acting tough before, but I can tell that she was legitimately scared. It's good that I arrived just in time…
"I see, that's good." I once again let out a sigh of relief. I'm sighing so much that I think I'm becoming like Sigh-chan.
"We should talk over there, it's too dark here…" she pointed to the main street.
"Mm…" I nodded at her and walked towards that direction.
I noticed that she was walking too close to me and our shoulders were touching.
Don't invade my personal space please, I already have one touchy feely girl in my life at home and I don't want a stranger in the mix.
"Thanks for saving me back there, those guys were pretty annoying…" she said.
"Hmm..."
When we arrived at the main road, she breathed a sigh of relief, and I finally got a good look at her.
She was pretty. Her blonde hair was long, but not as long as that of Kawasaki's. She also wore a cardigan of some sort over her school uniform. She was prettier than the average girl one can see at Sobou, and if we met on different circumstances, I would have thought that she was a model.
Her long-exposed legs looked smooth and toned. Is she an athlete? I guess she doesn't skip leg day.
*Hikigaya, you're sounding like a perv. *
Hmm, now that you mention it, yeah…
"Hi-Hikkio…?"
Huh? I turn to the blonde beauty beside me.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Hi-Hikkio…?" I say with hesitation.
He turned to me with a confused look, his gray eyes met mine and I had to will myself not to look away.
"Huh?" he asked dumbfounded.
Of course, why am I not surprised?
I knew his name started with a "Hi-" but I forgot the rest of it! What was his name, damnit!?
It's on the tip of my tongue!
"Ah, hehe…" I brushed it off with an awkward laugh. Maybe he has a nameplate on? I did a quick check on his uniform and he didn't have one.
"...Oh yes, we haven't introduced each other, yet have we?" he said with a look of realization.
"Yeah…"
"My name is Hikigaya Hachiman, pleased to meet you." he said and bowed. That's it! Hi-kigaya!
He said it in a very formal manner and he even bowed too.
"Miura Yumiko." I say and imitated him.
He looked as if he was going to say something, but he took at look at my purse instead.
And then his eyes widened.
"Is something wrong?" I ask him before looking at my purse if there was anything strange on it.
"Nothing…" he said dismissively and waved his hands in front of him while avoiding my eyes.
"Well, Miuro-san, wha-"
"It's M-i-u-r-a." I repeated.
"Ah, I'm sorry. I'm not good with names. What were you doing in that place? Don't you know that it's dangerous to walk in places like that?" He said in a reprimanding manner, his brows knitted together to form a look of disapproval.
Oh no, he's starting to sound like my Dad...
"A-Ahaha...I was trying to find a shortcut to the station..." I say as I scratched my cheek with my finger.
"Is that so..." he sounded like he was doubting my words.
"Hey! I'm telling the truth!" I exclaimed.
"Hmm..."
The sudden sound of thunder startled me and I looked up to see if it's going to rain.
Hikigaya-kun looked at the sky with a bored expression.
"Hoh, the weather report didn't say anything about rain this evening..." he muttered to himself more than to me.
He was about to say something, but he saw something behind me and walked past me. What the heck, how rude! Is that his way of saying goodbye?!
I stood still watching his retreating figure, until he stopped in front of a nearby vending machine. He looked behind him and was confused to see that I disappeared from his side.
He caught sight of me and gave me a look that said, "What are you even doing there? Why didn't you follow me?"
Ugh, what's with this guy? I don't get him.
"Oi, catch." He said and a second later, a drink was flying towards me.
"H-Hey! What gives?!" I barely managed to catch the damn thing. He leaned down and got his own can, MAXX COFFEE huh...
"Nothing, you just looked thirsty." He said in boredom and opened his drink.
Of all words…why did have to describe me as thirsty…?
I looked at mine and it was orange juice.
Hmm...orange juice...? Why do I get the feeling of Déjà vu…
...?
Hmm...
...
...
"Ah! You were the guy at the sports store before!" I exclaim excitedly. What are the odds that we could meet like this?
"Uhuh, you were wearing a skirt back then, if memory serves right..."
Eww...
I take a step back from him and tried to cover any exposed skin from his lewd gaze.
"Eww, Hikkio, are you a perv?" I say in a grossed-out manner.
"Not really. I'm not interested in that stuff." He said and returned a cold indifferent-look at me. He was definitely being serious right now, and I feel like I'm the one being immature.
A sigh of relief escapes my lips, I honestly thought that he was one of those pervy types...
"Still, it was your fault back then." I pout and turn away from him.
"Hey, I already apologized. And you shouldn't have brought a beverage into the store in the first place." He replied. Ugh, he got me there...
Another clap of thunder rattled the sky, and I involuntarily grabbed the nearest thing that could keep me safe from the storm.
Unfortunately, that thing was Hikkio's arm.
Because he was taller than me, I had to look up to take a peek at him.
And was greeted with the same impassive gaze with a hint of annoyance and an unamused-look in his eye.
Huh? No reaction at all?
Was he emotionally constipated or something?
I was about to let go of him, but with his other free arm, he took an umbrella from his bag and opened it.
A moment later, the rain poured around us.
"You were going to the station, right?" He asked.
"Yeah...?"
"Then, let's go."
We began walking together to the station. I wanted to let go of his arm because I was feeling embarrassed already. He walked like a robot, his eyes in front and not even turning his head to look at his surroundings.
Ah, we must look like a couple...it would be really embarrassing if we bumped into someone we knew...
Oh no, did I just set up a flag...?
Slowly but surely, I let go of his arm, and he adjusted to make things easier.
"Thanks for the drink, by the way." I say.
"Don't mention it. I had some spare change on my pocket and it was already starting to be annoying." He said flatly.
Haah? What the heck was that? Is he a tsundere or something...?
I willed myself not to laugh, though my shoulders started to shake and a squeak escaped my mouth.
"Miura-san, is something wrong?" He asked in a confused tone.
"N-Nothing's wrong, Hikkio...hehehehe..." I was barely able to make a sensible reply, but he shrugged his shoulders and resumed looking ahead.
I heard a lot about him. Like he's from a wealthy family, or that he looks like a delinquent. I even heard a rumor that he cheated during the entrance exams.
Sure, he looks kinda creepy, but he's just your average high school student, from my point of view, at least.
Though he's kinda stoic and too quiet for his own good. Plus, he carries this unapproachable and intimidating aura or something.
Not to mention his eyes would make anyone stop dead in their tracks.
The rain was starting to get stronger, and my partner was walking a bit too fast.
I nearly slipped while walking on some stairs, but Hikkio managed to hold me.
His grip on my left shoulder was firm, and thanks to that, I was able to recover quickly.
That's the 2nd time he saved me today...
"I'm sorry if I walked too fast." He said suddenly.
He's surprisingly considerate...
"Stop apologizing. It's not your fault, you know..." I hit him in the ribs with my elbow.
His only reaction was a grunt.
A while after that, we reached the entrance to the station.
"Miura-san, do you still need to walk from the next station to your house?" He asked.
"Yup. Why?"
Without a word, he shook his umbrella away from us to get rid of the droplets and handed it to me.
"Here."
"Eh?"
"Take it."
"O-Oh, thank you." Wow he's a thoughtful one, isn't he? You don't see guys like him every day.
"Take a bath when you get home. You were wet and it would be a shame if you missed school tomorrow." He said as I received the umbrella.
I would have slapped him for that innuendo, but, as he said, he's not that kind of guy.
So, I'll let this slide, for now...
"Yes Daddy." I nonchalantly reply as I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms in front of my chest.
If he ever becomes a father, I'm sure that he'll be the overprotective type.
His normally impassive face morphed into that of embarrassment. He had a frown but he looked funny while his face had a blush.
"Don't call me that." He said with a disapproving stare and a blush on his face.
Ok now I admit, that was a bit embarrassing. I'm sure that there's a blush on my face and I'm pretty sure that he noticed it too.
An awkward silence enveloped us, and we tried our best not to look at each other. The entrance to the station was just behind me, and I could sprint there as fast as I can for all I care.
"J-Jeez, that was just a joke Hikkio." I tried to play it off coolly.
He gave an exasperated sigh, "Miura-san, my name is H-i-k-i-g-a-y-a, not Hikkio."
Oh, I've been calling him that, wasn't I?
"Nah, I'll just stick to Hikkio." I grin at him and he had a look of defeat.
"Well, I should get going. Thanks for everything Hikkio. I'm going to drink the orange juice in the train." I grinned again hoping for a reaction.
He gave me a look of disappointment and said, "That's against the rules...".
I may be wrong but I think I saw the slightest trace of an upward curvature on his left lip.
"Goodbye then, Miura-san. Oh, before I forget." His eyes scanned my body slowly from top to bottom, and I noticed that it lingered a bit on my skirt.
"You perv!" I was about to punch his left arm but he grabbed my fist in mid-air.
"Keep quiet for a moment." He gently let go of my fist. I was honestly surprised that he managed to grab it.
"Your skirt..." he muttered as he put a hand under his chin and closed his eyes, as if trying to remember something.
I pulled my skirt down to cover as much skin as possible.
"What's with you and skirts?!" I had to keep my voice down, it would be annoying if people looked at us funny.
"It's too short."
"Huh?"
"According to the school rules, the girl's skirt should end directly above the knee or an inch above it. Your skirt is definitely beyond it."
Hey I look cute in this! And an extra inch above isn't as bothersome as it sounds.
You're a guy! You'll never understand the cuteness of this uniform!
And wait, how was he even sure about the inch thing? Did he secretly measure my skirt or something?!
"I'm going to give you a warning for now, but if that skirt remains the same next week, then I have to send you to the disciplinary office." He said with a serious air around him.
I scoffed, does he think I'm a weak girl who easily gets intimidated?
Who the hell does he think he is?
"You don't have the authority." I spat.
Again, his lips curved upwards, but I can feel as if time itself stopped.
Like...a void of utter emptiness and despair enveloped me and I found it hard to breathe.
"Oh, but I do. I happen to occupy the seat of the Disciplinary Committee Head." He replied.
Oh.
Well…
Damn it, looks like I've been caught by the big fish himself...this coincidence is just plain ridiculous.
"Fine fine, I'll get it done ok? Jeez you take your job way too seriously. You should loosen up more." I say in defeat.
He had a thoughtful look and contemplated my words.
"I'll keep that in mind..." he muttered.
Why does he always sound so cryptic?
"I'll see you tomorrow, Miura-san." He said and bowed.
"Yeah, take care Hikkio."
He gave an exasperated sigh at my words.
What is it now?
"My name is Hikigaya, not Hikkio..." he said while massaging his brow.
I stuck out my tongue and walked towards the train card scanner. I gave him a final wave, and he returned one of his own.
And then he took off his black uniform jacket, put it on his head and ran outside in the rain.
A pang of guild pierced my very heart when I saw that.
I thought he had an extra umbrella with him, why would he go out of his way to help a stranger like me, to that extent?
How kind...
He told me to take care of myself, but he should listen to his own words.
I swear, if he gets sick of this, it'll really leave a bad taste in my mouth...
Hikkio...is a pretty cute nickname, now that I think about it...
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Hello everyone!
I hope I wrote everyone as canon as possible, please tell me if I did ok with Yumiko. Yeah so one of the most highly demanded heroines finally makes her appearance!
Some of you were starting to think that Yukino was outright bullying Hachiman and being super toxic with him.
That's not the case, as you might have discovered in this chapter.
Their relationship is like a dangerous dance of swords, and the dance itself is quite knew to the both of them. That's all I'll say for now.
A dance of playful barbs, is what I'll call it.
So, I'm thinking Haruno next chapter or Yui…
Or maybe Saki…I dunno…
So yeah, that's it.
Don't forget to write a review! Or drop a suggestion or two while you're at it.
On other news, I downloaded Nekopara because I thought it was a cute Visual Novel.
It turns out that it was actually an eroge.
Feelssadman…
Ivanov117 signing off!