Hikigaya Hachiman's Path to Reformation
A Walk In The Park
Shout-out to the author of: "So I Accidentally Got a Harem Because of the Law, So What?!". Thanks for that mate!
Uwaah, I can't believe I'm being known as a smut hornyposter in the fandom. Looks like my lemony shitfest got a bit of attention...
BUT I'LL TAKE THAT AS A COMPLIMENT, FUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
I groggily opened my eyes.
The curtains were partly closed and I saw sunlight going into my room. I moved a bit in my bed and stretched my arms and legs, I could not suppress a girly moan to let out from my lips.
"Aahh~…" I fixed my shirt which went too much to one side of my shoulders, exposing much of my skin.
For a split second, I had forgotten that we had slept together on the same bed and I turned to his side. He wasn't there, but the pillows were neatly on top of each other. I looked around and confirmed that he was not in the room, then I smothered myself on the place where he slept and buried my face on his pillow. I was expecting him last night to move around in his sleep, but he is quite a peaceful sleeper.
"Ah, Hikigaya-kun's scent, he smells so nice…" I hugged the two pillows with my legs and arms as I rolled around the bed all giddy. "Hehehehehehe…"
I blushed a bit when I remembered the position that I fell asleep in last night. I was practically clinging to him, I wonder what his reaction was when he woke up…? It is a shame that I was unable to see it for myself.
When the initial giddiness went away, I soon felt embarrassed at myself and I covered my face with my hands and once again buried myself on his pillow. Why did I do that? That was so embarrassing, if he saw me like that then I want to die. G-Goodness, doing this first thing in the morning, this is entirely his fault for making me feel this way…
I calmed myself for the next few minutes before getting off the bed and going to my study table to get my mirror. Showing him my rather messy hair is not an option, after all, a lady must always look her best. Once I made myself look more presentable, I wore my slippers and went out of my room.
The scent of food was already in the air, and my stomach rumbled in response. When I went to the dining table, there was already food on it, but still no signs of him. It looks like he reheated our dinner from last night, he even took it upon himself to make some milk and heat some bread. I quickly went to my front door to see if he had already left, but thankfully, his shoes were still there.
That would leave…the bathroom.
The door was slightly ajar to the primary room and I peeked into it to see.
I saw him there, shirtless and sitting in front of my washing machine. He was concentrating on the machine in front of him as he put a hand under his chin. I spotted the red shirt that he slept in on a hanger, a large portion of it was darker than the rest, most likely from being wet.
He was surprisingly leaner than I expected. His uniform makes him look scrawny and thin, but now that I get a good look at him, he is very fit. His legs and abdominal muscles were toned, not surprising since he either bikes or walks to school every day.
After a few seconds, he nodded to himself and put his hand on the machine while his other hand held his wrist.
"Trace on!" He exclaimed, then quickly pushed the buttons and the machine came to life and started doing its duty. "There we go. Uwaah that was cringe… Good thing she didn't see that or else I would have killed myself from the cringe." He chuckled to himself and pumped his fist in the air.
I figured that it was time for me to go and I tiptoed my way to the sofa where I pretended to look as if I had just woken up. I heard the door open and then footsteps at the same moment when I sat down. When I turned to him, he brought with him the slightly soaked red shirt that he wore.
"Good morning."
"Yes, good morning…" I replied and yawned. I tried not to look at his shirtless form too much. O-Oh my, he's quite lean...
"I already made breakfast. I hope you don't mind that I used your washing machine to wash my clothes from last night."
I shook my head. "Thank you, and no I don't mind. Use it as you see fit."
"Well, earlier I sprayed the water on myself and my shirt got wet. Do you have a fan where I can dry this?" He held the thing up for emphasis.
I stood up and took it from his hands. "Let me do it, I'll get a new shirt for you while I'm at it." I went back to my bedroom where positioned the fan directly in front of it for it to dry faster. When I came back to him, he was already drinking milk on the dining table while he used his phone. I handed him a new shirt and he replied his thanks as he put it on.
I sat down across from him and took a sip from the cold glass of milk.
"You slept like a bear in hibernation so didn't want to disturb you. Have you checked the time?" He asked and I shook my head.
He turned his phone's screen my way and the time read "7:55".
He must have seen the surprise on my face since he immediately said some words to calm me down. "No need to get worked up, it's the weekend and all. Anyway, let's eat, you must be starving."
He ate as he browsed on his phone, I got curious so I asked him about it.
"What are you doing?"
"Just skimming through the news if anything relevant happened…" He replied without taking his eyes off of his phone. I did not mind it. He could have turned on the T.V but he never seemed fond of it in the first place. We ate in silence, and I was the one who stood up and went to get more when we were about to run out. Hikigaya-kun had a large appetite, and he would sometimes hum to himself as he read the news.
We finished at roughly the same time and I washed the dishes as I left him on the dinner table. When I came back, he had already cleaned the table and was in the living room staring out the window while he talked to someone on his phone. Since there wasn't any background noise, I heard his voice as he spoke.
"Yeah, I'll be there Boss Yuuka…This afternoon right?… I see…Okay…Oh, and can you ask Maya-Sensei what we're doing tomorrow?… Yeah, we have an event or something a few weeks from now…That would be great…Thanks, Boss, see ya later." He ended the call as I sat down on the sofa.
Even though I did not ask, he answered the question that lingered in my thoughts. "That was my Boss at work. I just asked if there was any change to today's shift." He shrugged and sat down next to me. I scooted closer to him when he was too engrossed in his phone after I turned on the T.V.
"Ah, is that so? You're employed as an…?"
"A cashier and a staff in her bookstore. Nothing special." He shrugged and stood up. "I'm gonna get some cake, would you want some?" He asked and I shook my head.
For someone like him from a well-off family to still have a part-time job was strange. I can't comprehend it. Maybe he is using the money he earns for himself? Or maybe he wants to be independent and avoids asking his parents for money? I honestly can't imagine myself as a part-time worker, my parents, especially my Mother, would be vehemently against it.
He came back with a slice of cake on a plate in his hands and sat back down. I was watching the news, it was about a random celebrity with their usual attention-seeking drama. I sighed as I waited for more relevant news to follow, from the corner of my eye, Hikigaya-kun rolled his eyes as he ate.
"Are you fond of movies, Yukinoshita?" He asked.
"Movies…Foreign or Japanese?"
"Either."
"I am not fond of movies in general so…"
"I see."
"..."
"..."
It seems that was where the conversation ended since he did not make a follow-up. We watched the morning news silently and he went back a few more times to get a slice before excusing himself to brush his teeth. I watched his back as he went inside the bathroom.
It could be just me but I think he is acting rather strange…he's too quiet and uptight for some reason. He has always been a man of few words, but his demeanour right now is rather unlike him. The air around him feels different. I mean, he is not exactly letting off a hostile aura, if anything, he is just a bit too formal. But still…
I know that hoping for things to go back to normal as fast as possible is wishing for too much, but I can hope, right?
He came back several minutes later and crossed his legs as he sat down. He must have fixed his bed hair while in the bathroom since it was neat and smooth. For a male, he is surprisingly conscious of his appearance. His hair, clothes and gait were all carefully chosen and practised. Even his fingernails, now that I take a closer look, it looks rather…
Hmm…
"Is something on my hand…?" His voice startled me a bit.
"Ah, no, nothing. But I could not help but notice that your fingernails are…" My words trail off as I hoped that he would catch my meaning.
Thankfully, he seemed to understand what I was getting at. "Oh, you mean these?" He showed me his nails that were very well maintained. "Recently, my Mother and Komachi do these for me when they're free, they also include my feet too. Mother is planning on setting up a salon with services as these see, Komachi liked the idea so they're 'practising' on me for the time being. Sometimes on the weekends, my Mother washes and trims my hair for me." True, his hair looks very healthy and smooth to the touch.
Oh, he's rather close with his Mother and Sister, isn't he…? They sound like the over-endearing type, especially his Mother. Mothers typically dote on and spoil their Sons, Fathers their Daughters. I wonder how that feels…
"Are you not bothered? Being a male and all that…" I say as I tilted my head to the side.
He casually shook his head. "Not really. I mean it looks and feels nice so I don't see any downside. It's like having your spa personnel at home." To add emphasis, he shook his head, causing his hair to sway here and there. True, it looks very light and smooth, unlike the messy hair that some boys in our Year have.
I scooted closer to him to reach out and touch the top of his head, he stiffened at my touch but said nothing. My fingers ran through his hair, smooth to the touch as I gently caressed his scalp. From what little of his face that I saw that was covered by his bangs, he was closing his eyes with a relaxed expression.
"Do you think that I should dye my hair?" He asked.
I started thinking about a boy in front of me with different hair colours.
"I don't know. You should decide that for yourself. But I believe you can do that once the summer break starts."
"What about the blonde?"
I immediately shook my head. The image of Uncle Hikigaya Joshirou's firstborn son being blonde-haired did not sit well with me and I frowned, showing my obvious displeasure. "Do not even think about it. You would look terrible."
I withdrew my hand from his head and he scratched his cheek. "I thought so too. I feel like I'd look like a delinquent... What about light-brown?"
"Too plain-looking."
"Light red?"
"Bright colours do not suit you."
"What about silver? Saki said that I'd look nice with it."
"No, that-" I stopped myself and put a hand under my chin. "You are already quite pale, and the silver hair would make it more prominent. And for someone of your background and standing doing that… I think even Uncle Joshirou would object."
He leaned back on the couch behind him with a drawled sigh. "Uwaah, and I was leaning on that option too. Isshiki and Shiromeguri-senpai mentioned that I should try out dyeing my hair..."
"You are his heir, after all, not to mention you being the Head of the Disciplinary and Events Committee at the Student Council. Hikigaya-kun, no matter how hard you deny it yourself, you should know that you are no ordinary person. You have a public image to maintain, a status to protect and uphold." I added.
I suddenly realized that I had spoken too much and might have tread on someplace where I should not have, I sounded like my Mother… He did not say anything and opted to just stare at the ceiling. "A-Ah, forgive me. It was not in my place to say that…" I say and give him a slight bow. He waved my worries away and spoke.
"Don't worry about it. I was thinking of trying something different for once. Just a random thought that passed my mind."
"What about me?"
He turned to me and raised a brow. "What about you?"
"My hair, do you think I should change it?"
He dully blinked at me a few times before answering. "Some girls cut their hair short when it's summer right? I hear that it's more convenient for them since long hair makes them feel stuffy. As for dyeing yours, I can't imagine your hair being any other colour except black honestly."
"It seems that you and Nee-san think the same. Do you like girls that cut their hair short?" I asked. This might be a chance for me to know his personal preferences.
"As long as she's comfortable, anything is fine." He answered and I sighed. That was a rather vague answer. "Anyway, I have work in the afternoon, so I'm free until then." He gave me an expectant look on his face after checking the time on his watch.
"So…"
Ah, is he asking me what we should do in the meantime…?
"You want me to decide?"
"I honestly have no idea what to do. I mean we can just hang around here if you want. But if you want to eat outside, we should go back here since there's still a lot of food left." He suggested.
"Are you sure?" I ask and he nods. His logic is sound, the only problem is that I have no idea where to go-
Wait…
We could…
"I-If you don't mind coming with me, then we could go there I guess…"
I am honestly surprised, I did not expect to see so many people here at this time of the day. I had forgotten that today was the weekend, so many like-minded citizens would come here as well. I saw families sitting down under the trees just spending time together, some elderly gentlemen playing board games at a table nearby, a few people walking their dogs…
"Hmm, so a park huh… I didn't take you for one to like things like these." He muttered beside me as we walked.
"Yes, I have been meaning to come here but I could not find the time to do so. Just a simple stroll in the park…"
I eyed him from the corner of my eye, even though he was wearing the same pair of clothes from yesterday, he still looked quite dashing. He walks differently right now. Though he does not exude the aura of authority, pride and one that demands a respect that he shows in school, he carries himself quite differently, causing him to stand out. He does not seem to mind the looks and glances that people give him I could sometimes notice him make a tiny smirk.
I was the one who combed his silky hair and ironed his clothes, he admitted that he was not quite confident in doing the latter since even at home he lets his Mother do it for him instead. I had him help me pick out my clothes today, I wore a slim-fitting white blouse with small frills at the end for my top and a red medium-length skirt.
I had fun as I was going through my wardrobe earlier and presented myself before him, I will admit that I deliberately did things slower and more extensive since I was quite enjoying myself. I thought he may grow annoyed and walk out of my room, but he didn't. I felt that he enjoyed himself. Who knew that doing a simple act such as that was held so much meaning and filled me with a certain kind of amusement? I never felt this elated even when I and Nee-san did it in our childhood.
Ah…it must be because it's h-him after all…
A couple walked by hand-in-hand, and I suddenly got conscious of how we looked. From an outsider's point of view, we must look like a couple. I was to his right and unfortunately, his hand was in his pocket. I could always hold his arm, but I could never do that… I would rather not do something that might irk him. It's too risky, even though I want to do it… If only I was more assertive… But it's still too soon for me to start acting chummy with him.
Thankfully, he does not seem to notice the turbulent thoughts that are rampaging in my mind right now. To satisfy myself a bit, I decided to walk a little bit closer to him until our shoulders were touching.
There was a man in front of us that carried his baby. She was looking at us with her big eyes, drooling as she chewed on her balled hand. "Yukinoshita, look at that baby. She's so adorable." Hikigaya-kun said and made faces at her. She giggled when he did so, making cute sounds that made my heart melt.
"Ino-sensei's daughter must be a few months older than this infant, no?"
"Yup. Ah now that you mention her, I miss her so much… I want to carry her in my arms again, she's so cute and soft and warm and a bit heavy, like a large marshmallow…" He had this faraway look in his eyes as he pretended to cradle something in his arms. I giggled softly as I watched him do it.
"I recall you saying that you once helped out at a daycare in your neighbourhood…" I say.
"Ah, that was only for a few times. My Mother is the Chairwoman of the neighbourhood community, she made me help out there a few times when they lacked some aides. I haven't been there in a while after my working schedule changed a bit."
"Hmm, so that is why you are very fond of children?" I ask and he nodded.
We stayed over a small bridge that went over a makeshift river filled with fish and ducks talking about random things that came to our mind. Our topics ranged from culinary Chinese and Indonesian culinary recipes to Japanese Mythology and the Crimean War centred around Florence Nightingale. Very random, I know. When he noticed me starting to sweat, he suggested that we sit down on a vacant bench under the shade of a large tree beside the main pathway. He's quite considerate and I smiled at how thoughtful he was. We sat down together before someone else took the seat away from us.
"Thank you for accompanying me, Hikigaya-kun. I appreciate it very much..." I smiled at him as I touched his arm. He did not seem to be affected by it.
"I've never been to this part of Chiba before, so this suggestion of yours was a very welcome one." He said.
We talked for a while under the shade: from his duties and noteworthy dealings in the StuCo, to what he does with his family in his free time. From what he said, he never has a dull moment on the weekends between helping out at his Mother's business, his part-time job and his Taekwondo practice. I'm honestly amazed how he can do so much in just two days given his age added with his responsibilities in school.
"By the way, I could not help but hear about an even earlier when you were at the phone. Was it perhaps related to Taekwondo?" I ask.
"Oh, you heard that? The different martial arts schools and institutions in Chiba are going to have a convention of sorts a few weeks from now. Our Sensei is the sister of my Boss at work, she referred me to her."
"Do you know any other martial arts?" I asked.
He put a hand under his chin. "Well, Taekwondo. I know a bit of Aikido, but I'm not confident in it."
"What are you going to do at that event?"
"It's honestly more like a glorified recruitment campaign. There's going to be a lot of showing off to attract newcomers, but nothing too serious. Maybe some friendly matches and sparring here and there."
An idea presented itself in my mind. Perhaps I could accompany him there. It sounds like he may need a pair of hands or something along those lines. No, I do not want to come out as too pretentious. I'll move this to a later date.
"Did you not think of joining a club that practised those arts?" I asked.
He shook his head. "Too many things to do with so little time. Though if I'm being honest, I was really curious about the Japanese Archery Club...it looks cool. If Hiratsuka-sensei didn't force me into the Service Club, I think I would have joined them."
"Then you should have joined."
"If I had, then I would be forced to step down from my seat in the Council. Between club activities and keeping my seat, I think it's obvious where I should put my attention to. Even though you can join a maximum of two clubs, it depends on the level of effort required by the club after all. Sports-related clubs are generally time-consuming after all, and if I add that to my responsibilities in the Service Club and the Council..."
I understood what he meant to say. He sacrificed his wants to serve the student body. "Ah, I see...but what about next year? Or the next semester?"
"No, I have other plans."
I turned to him. Something about the way he said it made me think twice about his words. "What kind of plans?"
He gave me a small grin that spoke volumes on his cunning. "Oh, you'll see."
He then started going in-depth about his responsibilities in the Council. It was also at that moment that I realized how much of a busy person he is, he purposely does most of the work in the Council to ease the workload of his upperclassmen. I got a bit guilty on the times that I berated him for arriving late in the club since I always took for granted his position in the Council.
"I'm sorry…" I say and gave an apologetic bow.
He sighed and told me to raise my head. "Good grief. That's all in the past now. Stop apologizing, you're going to ruin the mood and atmosphere."
I blushed at the hidden meaning in his words and nodded. I guess even he is aware of things such as that. He is right, I shouldn't wallow my mind to such depressing thoughts.
His eyes turned their attention to something behind me, and I instinctively turned to look at what caught his attention. There was a girl a few years older than us. She was dressed prettily and she looked above average. But my eyes were looking at her rather a large bust. Ah, so that was what he was looking at. She looked quite proud of them as expected since she walked with her head high and chest out as if to flaunt them to every female within her vicinity.
I felt a pang of envy hit me, and I looked down on my own. Sadly, he has never looked at me that way... I will admit that my development so far is a bit disappointing, but looking at my sister and my Mother, I think I still have a chance. Even Yuigahama-san is more blessed. I am a bit threatened by her to be honest since she sometimes clings to his arm. Not to mention the other girls that surround him… Ah, this train of thought is more troubling than I expected...
Hikigaya-kun looked like he was about to snicker at me, and I hit his leg in response, then I blushed when I remembered that he had felt my bosom when I held his hand to my chest last night. I-I wonder if he l-liked them… Ah! I mustn't think about t-those kinds of things yet!
I mustn't!
He gave me a thumbs up. "Don't worry Yukinoshita, it's not the size that counts, it's the girl attached to them!" He said with utmost confidence as he shared some of his wisdom with me. What he said was funny, yet made sense in a way.
I giggled with a blush from his words. "Hehehehehehe...that was funny, I have to admit."
This moment is quite perfect. Just the two of us here, spending time together at the park. A comfortable silence came on us as we would occasionally point at something in the distance that caught our eye. Even though it was just trivial talk such as guessing the pedigree of a dog that followed its Master, or talking about the snack vendors and the food that they sold, it was all very special to me.
"Hikigaya-kun." I touched his hand and directed him in the right direction. "That boy in the green, what is the breed of his dog?"
"That would be a German Shepard."
"Hmm, oh that one. The one resting while its Master is talking to someone on her phone?"
"A Yorkshire Terrier, it must be a female since it has a pink ribbon on its head."
"Oh, the tiny white one? The one that's being held by its Master?"
"An English Bulldog. Huh, I didn't know that puppies from that breed are that small."
"What about that small one being led by an elderly lady?"
"Ah, that's a Shiba Inu. The funny yellow dog that you'd sometimes see on the internet. Oh look, her face is so round like a Kabosu." He said and laughed.
Even though I can name a few of them, I decided to ask anyway. He was gradually becoming more and more amused as our little game dragged on. He already knows that I am afraid of dogs, so whenever a pet got too close he would try and get its attention to making it go to him instead. He has a way with animals, they immediately trust him from what I observe. "I know that you love cats and all, but are you allowed to have pets in your apartment?"
I shook my head. "Sadly no. Even if that were allowed I doubt that I can handle keeping one. What about you, Hikigaya-kun? Would you like to have another pet aside from…Kamakura…was it?"
"A Bearded Dragon or a Cockatiel. If possible, I'd like a red female Beardie, and I'd call her 'Liz'. If I got the latter, then I'd call her 'Jackie'." He replied immediately and with great enthusiasm.
Our topic changed and we began talking about the requests that we have received so far in the club. When I touched upon the chain mail incident, he started acting rather strangely. His replies were very short and he would avoid looking at me in the eye. Though we were seated side by side, he seldom turned to face me.
"How did you do it, Hikigaya-kun?"
"What?"
"The request. How did you solve it?"
He made a difficult expression and scratched his head. "A-Ah, well you don't need to know…"
I tilted my head to the side. "Why is that?"
"H-How I resolved it does not matter. What matters is that I have more scores than you!" He exclaimed and forcefully changed the topic. It seems that he is adamant about not telling me.
That's fine.
This is Hikigaya-kun that we are talking about.
It is not like he blackmailed and threatened someone into stopping and keeping quiet, right? Hikigaya-kun would never do that, he is the kindest person that I know.
"Can you at least tell me if the perpetrator's gender?" I sighed.
It took some time before I got a reply from him. "It was a girl. And that's the only that I'm telling you." It must have been from the lighting or something, but I thought I saw him blush.
"Well, if you are that keen on not telling me… On the other hand, you have outscored me, yes, but the first semester is going to end in a few days. The second would be the time that I make my dramatic comeback. When that happens, I will relish in the fact that you make as you admit your defeat, Hikigaya-kun~." I narrowed my eyes at him and giggled as I put my hand on my cheek.
He smirked and his eyes sparkled. "Ah, but victory is all very certain for me. I wonder, what should I make you do once I win… I have quite a creative and imaginative mind you know, and I can envision a great multitude of things that I can make you do for me…" His voice trailed off to who knows where. H-Hopefully not to something lewd.
T-Though I won't mind it if he thinks about me in particular… Hehehehehehe…
"That thought had already crossed my mind. What would I make you do, I wonder? Should I make you my slave and have you carry my things at school? Or would you prefer being my housekeeper for the rest of your life~?"
He visibly winced and leaned away from me. "Y-You were thinking that far?! Are you planning on making me your Servant?!" He expressed with mock shock and disbelief. I internally rolled my eyes at him, his acting skills are getting better and better to the point where I don't even know if he is doing it on purpose or joking anymore. Needless to say, the people within earshot gave us strange looks, most of them eyeing me with odd expressions.
"Plus I'm a high-ranking divinity possessing this impressive vessel. It'll take more than that to bind me to you!" He was spouting all kinds of nonsense and I had no idea what he was talking about. But now that I think about it, it seems rather similar to what that Zaimokuza fellow was saying the last time that he visited the club…
What was the term again…chunni…?
"Hikigaya-kun, please keep quiet. People are staring..." He might not be bothered in the slightest by their stares, but I felt quite the opposite.
"Don't mind them. They're probably normies anyway." He said and shot glances at the people who had their eyes on us. They immediately turned away when he did so.
"Ah, it looks like your eyes do come in handy when it comes to situations like these, don't they Hikigaya-kun?"
"Shut up. You're starting to sound like Hina and Yumiko from the other day." He lightly flicked my forehead and I yelped in surprise.
It was painless, but I pouted at him and pinched his arm to show my displeasure. He was amused at my reaction given that he was smirking and the all too familiar teasing glint in his eye has returned.
On the other hand…"Hina" and "Yumiko"… I always hear those names from Yuigahama-san. The fact that he addresses her as "Yui" must mean that he is also quite close to those two, with him addressing them with their first names and all.
Ah, I would love him to call me "Yukino", but it is still too early… I need to be more patient, I will have my chance…
Even though we're comfortable being friends, I want more.
I want to be the girl that's always by his side to support him. I want to see his smile and hear his laughter more often. I want him to open up to me and know everything about him. I want to be the one to help him when the time comes. I want to be the one to hear how his day went as we walk to the school gate together. I want to be the one who spends time within his free time. I want him to be the one to put his coat on my shoulders when it gets too cold. I want to be the one who cooks his food for him. I want to be the girl that he brings home so I can meet his parents.
I want him so much…
I-I want to be…his girlfriend…and something more in the future...
But I don't know if he feels the same way towards me. If I act too brazenly, I may ruin our fragile friendship and cause us to drift apart. And I don't want that to happen…
I do not want that to happen.
I shook my head to clear my thoughts and took a moment to calm myself down.
I turned to face him. His eyes were focused on some children playing on the grass and he had a fond smile on his face. When a Golden Retriever puppy went by following its Master, he leaned down and petted the tiny thing's head and it barked happily and licked his leg. I wish I can see this side of him more often. The more relaxed and free side that no one aside from his family and close friends can see outside of school. I love this side of him. For now, I am satisfied. This is all I want.
Just the two of us.
Here.
"A shame. Had it been late winter or early spring, this place would have been beautiful. The Sakura trees here are worth seeing." I say to myself wistfully.
He hummed in reply and then spoke after several moments of thought. "Good grief, I guess I have no choice, do I? Well, if you're making a face like that…there's no way I can say no."
"Yes…"
"..."
"W-Wait, what?"
He rolled his eyes and faced me. "Oh come on. The hint was dreadfully obvious. Do you want me to come here next year? Fine."
Did he just-?! Did he just misunderstand my words?! I was more or less talking to myself!
"N-No, you don't nee-" He interrupted me before I could finish.
"Good grief…" He said and sighed in exasperation. "I already said yes, didn't I? Nothing you say can change that. Why can't you just be honest with yourself? It's literally written on your face. 'Why don't you come here with me next year, Hikigaya-kun?'. I mean it was evident and all." He stated as if it was the most painfully obvious thing in the world.
His words greatly embarrassed me to the point where I felt my face get extremely red and I immediately covered it with my hands. From between my fingertips, I saw him tilt his head in confusion.
"Did I say something strange…?" He said and leaned closer, his voice filled with honest confusion.
I don't know if he really has no idea or if he's just teasing me. But what I am sure of is that if it were not for the people around us, I would have run away back to my apartment and locked myself in my room.
"Yes…yes you did…" I mumbled against my hand. W-Well, I can't say that I'm displeased by how things turned out. His rather embarrassing manner of pointing it out aside, at least I got what I want, even though I would never admit it. He is terrifyingly observant, I'll have to be extra careful next time. At least I got a promise of some sorts from him, ah but it's still a year away…
He said nothing as he waited for me to calm down. When I took my hands off from my flustered face, he had a look of amusement on him. He put a hand over his mouth, I thought he was going to cough, but then his shoulders started shaking.
He was laughing.
I started pinching his side, but that only seemed to fuel his merriment even more.
"You know Hikigaya-kun, you are starting to unusually sound more and more like Nee-san…"
He smirked and laughed. "Haha! I take that as a compliment, thank you very much."
We stayed at the spot for a little while longer until the time came for us to go. A lady walking her Shiba Inu approached us and asked him if he could take her picture. Of course, Hikigaya-kun being Hikigaya-kun, he agreed and stood up once she handed him her camera where they went a small distance away. Her dog took a liking to him and stood on its hind legs as it leaned on him for support. He rubbed its head and scratched under its chin and it barked happily at him. Once he knelt, he offered his hand to it, and the dog understood and put its paw on his hand.
A photo, huh…
I took out my phone, internally conflicted if I should proceed to what I was thinking.
I simply watched them, and he gave it back to her after several shots. As if noticing me for the first time, her eyes darted from me and to him and looked as if she suddenly had a great idea.
"Oh is she your girlfriend? Why don't I take a picture of the both of you?" She offered and I blushed madly from her words. Unsurprisingly, he did not look bothered at all by her words.
He turned to me, as if asking my say in the matter and eyed the phone that I had on my hand curiously but said nothing.
With both of their attention on me, the only thing I could do was squirm under their gaze before I meekly nodded my head. I gave him my phone and he, in turn, gave it to the lady, then he went back to sit next to me.
She angled the camera on us. "Girlie! Scoot closer to him!"
I did what she suggested until our shoulders and legs were touching. He doesn't seem to mind the contact.
"Perfect! Now just pose or do whatever expression that you can think of while I snap away!" She exclaimed as her dog barked in response to its Master's enthusiasm.
I straightened myself and fixed my hair and clothes. There was an uneven portion on his hair, so I started smoothing it with my fingers.
"Oi, unhand me, woman." He said and cringed away from me but I held him in place with my other hand.
"Goodness, stay still. What are you, a child?" I chided him and he rolled his eyes as I worked on his hair.
Once we were ready, we faced the camera together.
The lady had an amused grin upon seeing us with straight shoulders and emotionless expressions. "Don't be so stiff! Relax!"
Hikigaya-kun could not help but chuckle while I silently giggled at the situation that we found ourselves in. Of course, I decided to take full advantage of it. Hikigaya-kun did the same and I saw him smile.
I smiled at the camera as I leaned my head on his shoulder while I wrapped my arm was around his.
Right now...
I cannot express in words how truly happy I am.
Greetings! I'm back!
Sorry for the late update, I was under some writer's block and all that.
Looks like Yukinon finally got to spend time with Hachiman, if only for a few hours. She also got to see the side of him that all her competitors had already seen. Yukino still doesn't know what to do at this point: should she go and confess, or should she wait a little while longer? Ah but most of the girls are already ahead of her in the race to Hachiman's heart! She needs to pick up the pace! We already know who's leading after all!
I was also so SO close to writing an alternate SMUT ending to chapter 40, you know, Hachiman and Komachi in the bathroom... But I can't quite think of any scenario that would lead to it... Eh, don't mind me.
I'm not feeling up to it to reply to the reviews! I'll do it next time!
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See you next time! God Bless!