Hikigaya Hachiman's Path to Reformation
The Summer Camp Part 2:
The Feelings of Protectiveness
Just fixed some typos and minor grammatical errors. Oh and if you don't mind, please read my Author's Notes at the end! :)
I knew that he would be pissed, and I also knew that I'd get pinched or my ears twisted. Even with all that said it still hurt when it happens!
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! OUCH OUCH OUCH OK I'M SORRY FOR TRICKING YOU!" I gripped the back of his shirt as he dragged me by the ear away from the group. My complaints landed on deaf ears and he continued walking.
"H-Hina! Help me!" I call out to her as the distance started to grow larger. He was dragging me to the back of the group where he would make his way with me away from the others. Wait, that sounded wrong.
The Fujoshi forced a difficult smile and shook her head. "Sorry, Yumiko. This one's one you."
"Yui!"
She laughed and scratched her cheek when I called out to her. She was speaking to that upstart Yukinoshita girl who turned to me with a dismissive look in her eyes which slightly annoyed me. "U-Um… What Hina said!" I seriously don't get what Yui sees in that doll. Even Hikio too… To think that she'd be so bold and openly do that in front of us earlier… Even Hayato and Yui were surprised.
"Hayato! Tobe!" Hopefully, they might be able to convince Hikio to stop if I make it sound like I'm in pain enough. It's a guy's instinct to help a damsel in distress after all.
Instead of them coming to me, the both of them whistled and walked faster to the front of the group. The latter limped after Hayato with his injured foot. He avoided putting some weight on the top half of his foot since it's still painful for him to do so. Tobe turned to me and gave me an apologetic look. "Sorry, Yumiko! Hikitani just chewed me out for coming here with my foot in this condition. I don't want him to get mad again!"
Hina covered her mouth and madly cackled at his words. "Hehehehehe, 'chewed me out', that sounds suuuuuuuuuuper lewd~! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"There's no one to help you so I'd give up if I were you…" Hikio said and nudged me closer to him, where he let go and then pinched the side of my tummy.
"Ah! Pervert! Help me!" He then flicked my forehead when I was about to get back at him. I hissed as I rubbed my ear and tummy at the same time.
"This is payback for your little 'prank'. Bear with it." He leaned down and whispered to me.
"Oh come on! You're overreacting! You look nice in that outfit! You should thank me even!" I forcefully yanked his collar back to me which caused an "oof" from him then I whispered back before hitting him with my elbow to get my point across. He smelled nice and a few strands of his hair tickled my nose. I was the one who told him that he had to wear a specific set of clothes for the Summer Camp. We argued and I thought that he won't follow my instructions, so it came as a massive surprise that he did. When he walked out of his car earlier, I couldn't stop laughing.
From behind his sunglasses, I saw him roll his eyes. "That might be so but not when I look utterly out of place when I'm grouped up with you lot like this. I feel like a playboy or something, not to mention ridiculous. I'm gonna throw up…"
"Ugh, lighten up Hikio. It's Summer! Be free!" I say and playfully slapped his shoulder.
He scoffed and gave me a top-to-bottom look. His eyes narrowed and when they landed on my chest and skirt. He arched a brow and gave me an unimpressed look. "Oi oi oi, are you seriously ogling me right here and now? Really? This early in the morning? Pervert." I say as I covered myself from his lecherous gaze.
My words were ignored as he opened his mouth to speak. "With what you're wearing, I could see why you would say the word 'free' so casually."
I looked down and checked my clothes. There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with them. I wore a black skirt that ended on my mid-thighs and a pink blouse that showed a bit of my abdomen and shoulders for my top. I even brought my favourite outdoor shoes today.
"Why? Do you think the colour matching is bad?"
He sighed and shook his head. "No that's not what I meant. Look at Hina for example." He nodded forward and we looked at the girl in question where she was speaking to Kawasaki.
"That light dress looks good on her, together with that…I don't know what that's called. The blazer-like thing that she has over her shoulders…? A shawl…?"
"Yeah, I get it."
"And the hat looks cute and comfy too."
I internally frowned at him. What's with the sudden focus on Hina? Does he think that I look bad and he has to compare me to the others? I always felt that something was going on with these two.
"Anyway, what I'm saying is that you don't need to wear over-the-top clothes to look pretty. You're pretty enough as it is already."
I slowly clapped sarcastically. "Wow, very smooth Hikio. Are you trying to woo me now? Where'd you get that? That sounds like what a typical MC would say to a girl from a show ten years ago." I put a hand over my mouth and snickered at him.
"Like I'd do that. Now that I take a good look at you, you stick out like a sore thumb as well. Not in a bad way."
"So we're together in this then. You don't feel like getting lumped with me? Is that what you're saying?" I reply with a challenging tone and glared at him.
He shrugged and turned to me. "On the contrary, I don't mind it either way."
I didn't expect his answer, so it took me aback."Oh." I thought he was being sarcastic, but it looks like he wasn't.
"What about you?" He asked immediately.
"Umm, I d-don't mind it I guess…" I say as I absentmindedly twirled the ends of my hair. It's a good thing that our voices were low enough to not be heard by the others. They were talking with each other and seem to have quickly forgotten about my earlier scene. He tilted his head to the side from my reaction but didn't say anything.
"Do you like this, Yumiko…?" He asked.
"Huh? Of course, I like it. I'm the one who told you the specific set of clothes to wear! But I think you should have worn white shorts and sandals for your feet though. Just no socks though, socks with sandals look funny lol." I put a finger on my lip and looked him over. Hmm, a hat would have been nice but that'll ruin his hair.
"Huh? No, I meant this." He spread his arms and gestured.
"Your shirt? Yeah, I like it. Looks neat and it hides those scrawny arms of yours hahahaha."
He shook his head. "No no no. I mean this activity. I don't see you as an outdoorsy girl in the first place. So it came as a surprise that you'd come here too."
There was a line of ants on the ground in front of us and we walked over them. "I don't mind it. The city life can be noisy and hectic. When I was a kid, my Father would take my Mother and me on trips like these. We'd camp out in one of the sites that have a great view of Fuji-san during the Autumn. We went on a trip to Hokkaido once and it was so cold." I say and smiled at the memory. We noticed some groups of elementary-school children looking for the checkpoint in their game thing as some searched the bushes and tree trunks.
"Huh. And here I was expecting you to be the stereotypical city gal gal that hates everything about nature… I was waiting for you to start complaining about everything as we walked since if you annoyed me too much I brought my duct tape to shut you up." He closed his eyes and nodded to himself. I slapped his arm for his snide comment.
"Very funny. Shut up. Well, I don't like everything per se. I don't like bugs, and camping out at night makes me anxious since one might crawl into your futon…" My skin crawled at the thought and I held my shoulders.
"That's understandable since I don't like bugs too. I'm not very fond of these sorts of things and I'm quite sure you know why. But don't hate it."
"What about you Hikio? Have you gone on trips like that with your family?"
Wait…now that I think about it, I barely know anything about his family aside from his Parent's job and the existence of his sister. That's pretty much it. I never even bothered to ask about it before and it's already been more than a year since we became friends.
He shook his head. "No. My Father was working multiple jobs when I was younger, and when I was old enough to be responsible and do the necessities like cooking and cleaning, my Mother resumed working full time. She came back a bit when Komachi was still an infant but went straight back to work when I was able to take care of her."
"Oh. What about your grandparents? Surely you've spent a summer or two there right?"
"Both of my grandparents from my Mother and Father's side, unfortunately, passed away before I was born." He said plainly and I immediately regretted asking something so personal.
"Ah, sorry," I say and bowed. He just told me that it was alright and it was fine to continue the conversation.
"Ok fine whatever you say then… Umm...what about cousins? Do you have some?"
He shook his head again. "My parents don't have any siblings. My Father isn't very close to the other branches of the Hikigaya Family. I've heard some are in Kanagawa, Saitama and the Kamakura Prefectures, but that's about it. I've never met them. Same with my Mother."
I laughed when I remembered the plot of a drama series that I've watched before. "Hoooh, maybe one of these days you'll meet them. Like those scenarios that you'd see on TV shows. You know, when the main character is already betrothed to one of their distant cousins to preserve the family wealth or something like that hehehehe."
"Oi oi oi, stop talking. You might raise a flag or something. This is real life not some rom-com slice of life light novel. But I seriously have no clue why my Father doesn't keep in contact. Not one of them showed up during the opening of my Father's company or my Mother's business even… And that's saying a lot."
So it's like that huh? Family problems that even he doesn't know. And he's the firstborn son too… I'll avoid going deeper into that topic then.
"Unlike you, I don't have any siblings. My parents work full time too so it sometimes gets lonely at home." I tried not to sound sad, so I smiled at him.
"If you want, you can always invite me for a sleepover." He offered.
"A-Ah, that would be…" I scrunched up my face at the thought. I wouldn't mind it but I think my parents wouldn't approve. I mean, inviting him to my house out of the blue would send lots of signals to my parents. Besides, friends of the opposite sex wouldn't do that kind of stuff at this age, especially when that friend doesn't personally know your parents. Even more so if it's just the two of them alone. It's not the same scenario as those childhood friends who are closer than siblings but aren't exactly in a romantic relationship like those tropes that you'd see on TV.
He nudged me with his arm when he realized that I was spacing out. "Yumiko, I was just kidding… If I suddenly show up at your place, I'd just cause trouble, your parents asking me my intentions towards you and all." He said as a matter-of-factly as if it wasn't embarrassing for him to speak out loud in the least.
I blushed at the thought and laughed it off.
I shouldn't be thinking about that kind of stuff. Hikio is my friend. He's just a friend. Just a friend…
I see him as just a friend…
…right?
"A-Ah, I see. Didn't you, Hayato and Totsuka have a sleepover at Tobe's place some time ago? I forgot to ask. How was it, did you have fun?" I say to try and change the topic. He nodded and we looked at Tobe who was limping ahead of us.
"He may not look like it but he comes from a somewhat strict household. He's a different person at home and school. This side of him is the 'free' side for the lack of a better word. When I learned that, I became more tolerant of his antics." He said and leaned down to whisper to me to prevent the others from hearing us. He didn't even answer my question.
"Yup, Hayato dropped some hints here and there, but it's you who said it bluntly," I reply
He took out his handkerchief and wiped some sweat that had formed on his forehead. His eyes looked up to the branches of the trees above. "Say, Yumiko…"
"Hmm?"
"You still have your grandparents, right?"
"Yeah."
"What's it like? Having grandparents I mean." He turned to me, eager on what I have to say.
I put a hand under my chin and started thinking before I decide to answer. "Umm, kind of nice. It's like you have an extra pair of parents, only that they spoil you more and aren't as strict hehehehe. My Grandmother always sneaks me some pocket money that I put in my savings. We sometimes visit them during the New Year's, we don't have plans this Summer yet."
"No cousins?"
"I have but we're not that close. The last time I met them was…two or three years ago I think. They're working adults now so it's kinda hard for us to get to know each other."
He slowly nodded after pondering on my words. "Ah, I see. Well, going back to the main topic, I've seen his photo."
"Of who?" I ask.
"My Father's Father. We have the same pair of eyes that it's unnerving. It felt like I was looking at my future self." I grinned at his words.
"I guess that genetic gift is only predominant among the male children huh."
"Perhaps…"
Our talk continued for the next few minutes until we heard a shriek that came from what sounded like one of the groups of elementary school girls. Hikio immediately picked up on the sound and quickly went to the source without a word. He was followed by Hayato and Tobe who limped after him. I got curious so I followed them.
Several girls were huddling near some bushes when I caught up to them. It was a harmless snake that they found. Hikio found a stick nearby and proceeded to move the snake away from the path since it might have an unfortunate encounter with the other groups.
Hayato went to eye level with them and asked them what they were doing.
"We're looking for one of the checkpoints!"
"Onii-san, can you help us out?" One of the girls gripped his sleeve to convince him and the others followed suit. I was slightly bothered that he agreed to them so quickly without consulting the rest of us but decided not to dwell on it too much. Just Hayato being Hayato I guess.
Unfortunately, one of the boys crossed his arms around his chest and arched a brow at the suggestion. "Hayama, what do you think you're doing?" Hikio spoke up and caught everyone's attention. The rest of the group caught up to us and were starting to more or less understand what just happened.
"Oh, Hikigaya. I just thought that they might need a little help. That's all." He smiled but Hikio wasn't convinced as he leaned his back on a tree under the shade.
"Getting assistance from a third-party? That's cheating. They'd cover more ground and save a lot of time if we did so. Which is unfair to the other groups who are doing this with the manpower that they have on hand."
"It's only a little bit, it won't make much difference."
"Still cheating though."
Anyone can tell that this was heading towards an argument. Yui and Hina looked between them anxiously, not sure what to do. I noticed the black-haired doll look down, pursing her lips and thinking about Hikio's words.
"Come on, there's no harm in lending a little hand. Plus it'll be our little secret, right girls?" Hayato turned to the girls where they gave him their cute smiles and nods. They were very eager to get our help, that much I can tell.
"Cool Onii-san with the sunglasses! Help us out too pretty please!"
"Yeah! Only a little bit!"
Hikio wasn't having any of it as he watched them with an unreadable expression. "Hmph, suit yourself then. I'll take no part in this. If you'll excuse me..."
He was about to walk away and continue going up the trail when Yui spoke out. "H-Hikki! At least wait for us please…?"
He shook his head before speaking. "No, since staying here and doing nothing except stare at you guys would make you uncomfortable. I'll be going on ahead then. Be careful and watch out for bugs, snakes and whatnot. Tobe, watch out for your foot. Be careful walking around in that dress Hina, it might get snagged in the branches."
"Yes Sir!" Hina grinned and gave him a salute, while the other one that he addressed did not look as enthusiastic anymore.
"Aw, Hikitan's no fun…" He said but was ignored by Hikio who was already walking away.
His little sister jumped and stood in his way, putting her hands on her hips. "Onii-chan! Komachi wants you by her side so don't go!" He just rolled his eyes and boredly walked past without giving her a spare glance. "Saki, look after Komachi for a bit please…" He turned to the girl in question, she nodded and touched his little sister's shoulder.
"Come on Komachi. Hachiman might be feeling under the weather today so let him go, ok?" The little girl pouted and reluctantly followed her words.
"There's a reason why he sometimes skips gym class after all. We can't blame him." Hayato said as we watched him walked up the trail, occasionally looking at something interesting on the ground or some birds on the branches. "Ok, now where could these checkpoints be…we should hurry before some of the other groups catch us doing this."
"Yup! We'll search over there!"
"Ok! The others and I think we saw something earlier at the base of a tree!"
I'm disappointed that Hikio didn't stay with us and I can't say no anymore to the girls at this point. That Yukinoshita girl watched him go with a conflicted expression and sometimes she'd look to the other girls behind. She took a step in his direction, and I was expecting her to follow, but she sighed and went to where Yui was instead. Hina came up to me and poked my shoulder to whisper something.
"Yumiko, you were with him earlier. Is something up?"
I shook my head and shrugged. "No, I don't think so. He didn't give off that kind of mood. We were just talking normally like usual."
"He must be just tired then. Have you noticed the dark circles under his eyes recently? Maybe he's not getting much sleep."
She scratched her head and huffed out in mild frustration. "Ugh, stupid Hachiman! I thought he'd lighten up now that we're away from school and it's Summer, but he's still his old self as usual." She said and I followed her to take a look at the bushes.
"Hikio is…well Hikio. You can't expect someone like him to change so easily. He's always been a little uptight whenever we go out, even more so during at school." I say and recalled the few times when we did.
"Yeah, but I wanted him to lighten up at least now that it's Summer…" She said as she picked up a stick and randomly swung it here and there.
I don't why, but the way she said it made me think that there was something deeper under her words.
I saw Hayato talk to one of the girls in the group that had a camera in her hands. She looked very uncomfortable as he spoke to her and wouldn't meet his gaze. She was the one who stayed at the back, I thought that it was just nothing, but then I realized that she was a bit of an outcast. The snickering earlier must have been something completely different from what I thought at first. She was the one being laughed at. I was too preoccupied with Hikio earlier to notice it. He led her back to the rest of the group and left immediately after to look for the checkpoints. When he did, there was some light snickering and she soon fell back to her original place.
She was approached by that Yukinoshita girl once Hayato walked away from her. They exchanged some words before the little girl followed the group a small distance away behind them.
Hina and I broke off from the others to search one specific area. I was surprised when she suddenly skipped to me and whispered excitedly while grinning from ear to ear. "Yumiko! Yumiko! I have the perfect idea on how to cheer up Hachiman! Something that I'd know he'd love~!"
"All right, tell me then." I looked around to make sure that we were alone and then I listened to her small voice as she explained it to me.
"I already prepared some stuff for this so...first I'll…next I'll take him to….then I'll take off my…once that's out of the way, I'll push him down and…after that I'll take his…then I finishing things up by…until one of us passes out from the exhaustion!"
Needless to say, it took me by surprise at how bold it was for her to suggest such a thing (S-She better not be s-serious!) and I felt my face explode into a blush and steam go out of my ears.
"H-H-HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH?! YOU WANT TO DO W-W-WHAT WITH HIM?!"
She quickly shook her head. "No no no! It's not just me!" She paused and gestured for me to keep my voice down. "You and Yui are a part of this too so don't worry! Maybe we could even add in Saki-Saki and Yukinoshita-san as well, you think they'd like it…? What about Hiratsuka-sensei, he always told me that he liked older girls…" She said as an afterthought while scratching her chin as if that would make it better.
"T-T-T-THAT'S EVEN W-W-WORSE! HOW COULD YOU EVEN THINK AND SUGGEST THAT?!"
She widened her eyes and laughed maniacally. "AH! AND I'D WATCH THE BOYS DO IT AMONG THEMSELVES! KYAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Some of her blood is already dripping from her nose.
"H-Hina…!" I say and softly hit her shoulder. "You shouldn't be thinking about those things with Hikio…! It's wrong…"
She grinned slyly and covered her mouth after she wiped the blood away. Then she laughed at my reaction, her glasses reflecting some light and giving her a more mischievous look. "Oh~! So you don't want to share… You want him by yourself then~! Greedy little Yumiko~…"
"SHUT UP! IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!"
She put a hand on my shoulder after calming herself down. "Heheheh, relax Yumiko. I'm just kidding." She paused momentarily, and then her lips returned into a sly grin.
"Unless…?"
"HINA!"
"Hikitani!" Tobe called out to Hikio while he was sitting out helping the kids prepare and cook their food. Two boys were at his side curious about what happened to him.
Hikio turned back to him just as he was about to step out of the shade. "Hmm?"
"Are you going back to our lodgings?"
"Yes."
"Can you get a towel from my bag? I'm sweating like hell!" Tobe exclaimed while fanning himself to keep cool. He was soon reprimanded by Hiratsuka-sensei for using profanities while in the presence of children.
"Ok."
Since I was more or less done with helping out the girls, I stood up to catch up to him. "Hikio, wait up! I'll come along too." He waited for me to go to his side before we walked to their lodgings together. He had opened all the buttons on his top revealing the thin white sleeveless inner-shirt that he had underneath at my suggestion earlier.
"Why?"
"I'm just curious if the boy's sleeping place looks exactly as ours." For some reason I felt someone was watching me, so I looked behind me to see who it was. Hina gave me a sly look before snickering and moving to help Kawasaki-san and Hikio's little sister.
I read her lips when she mouthed something to me.
"Oh-my! Yumiko's-so-daring~!"
"Looks like Hina is saying something. Do you get what she's saying…?" I was startled by his voice, I didn't notice that he looked behind him too. He squinted behind his sunglasses as he tried to figure out what Hina was saying.
"N-No I'll ask her later. Come on let's hurry up!" I grabbed his hand and forcefully pulled him forward. "Jeez, what's with the rush…? Are you that curious?" I didn't listen to his complaints nor let go of his hand as we ran until we reached the log cabin that would serve as their lodgings.
He led the way and opened the door as I followed him inside. It was the same as ours, except for the small fridge at the side. Their bags and futons were already at the sides, as well as some other stuff on the table that they brought with them.
I sat on the floor next to the door as I waited for him to fulfil Tobe's request. As he was rummaging through his things, he spoke up. "By the way Yumiko. There are some refreshments that I brought with me in the fridge. Help yourself if you find one to your liking."
I skipped to small the thing near his bag. I was getting a bit thirsty, so his offer is great. "Don't mind if I do~!" When I knelt and opened it, I was slightly disappointed.
"Hikio…"
"Where is that damn thing… Oh, what is it?"
"Everything here is either an energy drink or the disgustingly sweet MAXX COFFEE that you love so much," I say as I turned to him.
He shrugged my words off once he got Tobe's towel. "You're right about the 'love' part at least. You still don't want one?" I sighed and just took one of the energy drinks that was inside, it was cold to the touch as I opened and tasted it.
"Is it good?"
"As good as an energy drink will ever be I guess. What are you standing around for? You still have something to do?" I say after sitting on one of the chairs and crossing my legs.
"Yes."
"What is it?"
"I'm going to change my shirt."
"Ok."
"..."
"..."
He just continued staring at me unblinkingly. ".."
"Well? Get to it then."
"Are you seriously going to watch me?"
"Haaaaaah? You're seriously embarrassed? What are you, a girl?" I reply. I'm not some shy maiden who immediately blushes and becomes a stuttering mess at the sight of a shirtless male. I don't understand some girls out there that get like that.
He put a hand on his hip. "Hoh, I didn't expect you to say that."
"Hmph! As long as you don't change your underwear or something like that in front of me, then it's fine." I say as I sat down on the chair nearby and crossed my legs before taking another sip from my drink. "Just one question though."
"Hmm?"
"Boxers, briefs or boxer briefs?" I ask.
"Where did this question come from…?"
"Just answer the question Hikio."
"Well fine then. I prefer boxers." He said and started taking off his long-sleeved shirt. Once he neatly folded and put it away, he untucked his white sleeveless inner-shirt and fanned it to cool himself down. He walked towards me and sat a small distance away after putting back his sunglasses in their case. "My God, this heat is going to drive me mad…" He muttered to himself as he closed his eyes.
I got up and got another drink from the small fridge and gave it to him. "Here Hikio, maybe that'll help." He thanked me and put it against his cheek before opening and drinking from it. I sat back down, closer to him this time so I can help him cool down with the spare fan that was lying around.
"Thanks."
"Don't mention it. On the other hand…" I covered my mouth as I started to giggle.
"What's so funny? Is there something on my face?" He took out his phone and checked his reflection in the glass.
"I thought you were a perverted man-whore…! P-Playboy pantsu…! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" I burst out laughing when I couldn't hold it in anymore as I stomped my feet on the wooden floor. He turned to me as if I had gone crazy and I can't blame him.
"Huh? What I don't get it. Is it a new trend that kids have nowadays…?" He asked me in honest confusion as he continued fanning himself. Most of the sweat on his forehead had already dried up.
"Hehehehe. W-Well, if you're a guy wearing boxer briefs, you're a perverted man-whore." I say and explained it to him. Word around the girls some time ago was that it came from a drama series that recently got popular. One of the male protagonists was quite a looker and showed him in a scene wearing that, coupled with the fact that he is a known playboy. So it must have caught on with the female audiences.
"That's ridiculous. You can't judge someone like that based on what kind of undergarment he's wearing." He said and walked to where his bag was, before putting his hands on the ends of his shirt and taking it off. He stood there as he neatly folded his shirt like an experienced butler and then turned to me.
The light from the windows made it seem like his chest was glistening as he continued to fan himself without a care in the world. "Anyway, did anything interesting happen earlier when I went ahead?"
He had a surprisingly slim and slender, yet athletic build. His abdomen was toned as well, and the line on both sides that led to his groin was very prominent and eye-catching and I lightly blushed. His chest and shoulders were on their way to become praise-worthy too.
"O-Oh, nothing," I say and raise my eyes to meet his.
"Ah, is that so…" He stood at the window looking outside, cooling himself down.
I decided to ask him some things that were on my mind now that we were alone together. "Hikio, are you, friends, with that cold doll Yukinoshita?"
He took a moment longer to reply. "You can say that…"
I scoffed and crossed my arms around my chest. "Hmph, I don't get you and Yui. What do you see in her? All she does is act high and mighty like a spoiled princess who doesn't understand how the world works. I mean, just listening to Yui about what she does in your club activities pisses me off. Who the hell does she think she is talking down on you like that? If anything it should be the other way around since I can't name a single thing that she does better than you. You should stop being soft on her Hikio, put her in her place."
He turned to me. I was expecting him to reprimand me, but he just spoke in his calm voice as usual. "Yumiko, I didn't know that you had such strong feelings towards her. Did you two have a disagreement before or something?"
I frowned and shook my head. "No, but just listening to how she treats you makes me mad and is enough for me to hate her."
He sported a strained expression. "I won't deny that she can be a bit difficult to deal with from an outsider's perspective but-"
"Hah? 'An outsider's perspective? Hikio, let's be real. She even treats you like shit even though you're 'friends with her. It's only a matter of time until she says or does something that might hurt Yui too I bet." I say and interrupted him. "And she has this look in her eyes like she's annoyed at my existence or something."
He tapped his chin as he blankly stared outside. "I see…well try to bear with it for another day or two yeah? You won't ever see her again after this after all."
"That sounded like what a sociopath serial killer would say."
"You watch too many movies Yumiko…"
"You're still going to put up with her?" I ask while frowning.
"Yumiko, please don't ruin the mood..." There was a pleading look in his eyes so I decided to drop the subject entirely. If he doesn't know, there's no use in shaking any answers from him. Plus it'll make me look clingy and jealous, and I don't want him to think of me like that. "You're talkative today." He said.
I smirked and swung my legs. "Hmph, I rarely have alone time with you since you and Hina are always acting chummy at school. Yui won't leave your side during Home Economics Class, but I don't mind Tobe and Hayato's company. Even that bratty little First-Year, she sure has quite an attitude just because you're nearby. All bark just because her dear Senpai's around, but no bite whatsoever. But she acts cute so she's ok I guess."
"Isshiki? She's fun to have around. And now that you mention it, it has been a while since it's just the two of us huh?" He said as he nodded in realization.
"Oh yeah, I always wanted to ask. Were you always close with Kawasaki-san? The two of you don't give off that kind of air in school." I added. It's true though, they only seldom speak together in class and very rarely walk home together from what I can tell.
"Ah, well our parents know each other and her little sister drops by to play at our house or the playground. Sometimes, she and I study at our houses during exams or major tests since last year. Her folks are good people. That's pretty much it." He shrugged.
"Oh! I see. She doesn't have a boyfriend?"
He shook his head. "No. Also, she's hesitant to approach me sometimes because of…well, you guys."
I tilted my head, not quite sure what he's getting at. "Huh? What do you mean…?"
"To put it bluntly, she's rather shy and I'm her only friend. So she feels very reluctant to approach me when there are people around that she's not familiar with. It's fine if it's only one, but if it's a group then it would be quite difficult for her to do so. And seeing that I'm also usually busy with my StuCo duties…well you get what I mean."
A-Ah, so it's like we've been hogging all the time and attention from her only friend. Now I feel a bit guilty. I mean I have lots of friends so making the effort to give them some time and space isn't much of a difference. But if I were in her shoes, then I'd feel sad or maybe even irritated that the only person that I trust and consider a friend is constantly being taken away from me.
"Oh…I…I didn't know…"
"I'm telling you this because I trust you, Yumiko. Hina has already figured things out, Yui is getting there too. So please be patient when she's a bit apprehensive around others. She and I are similar in some aspects."
"Yeah, thanks."
"One of the reasons why I brought her with me was to become friends with you guys. Or at least have someone that she's comfortable talking to."
I gave him a warm smile. "That's very considerate of you."
He stopped and put the fan on the table, then went to his bag and took out a random t-shirt and wore it. I would be lying if I say that I didn't want to take my time looking at his figure. But if we took too long then the others would get suspicious.
"One last thing before we go back, Yumiko…"
"Hmm?"
He wordlessly stared for a bit, deep in thought before sitting down close to me and speaking. "What do you think of…Hayama?"
Hikigaya-kun came back with his blonde female friend. They were not in a hurry and took their time walking. I narrowed my eyes when I remembered how she boldly took his hand as they ran together earlier. He gave the small towel to Tobe-san and joined Totsuka-san, Yuigahama-san and Ebina-san who were assisting the children with preparing their food.
Kawasaki-san was currently helping me wash the utensils to be used. It has been roughly fifteen minutes since we started and not a word passed between us.
"..."
"..."
From the corner of my eye, I noticed that she was very quick in her movements. Which told me that she must do housework and cleaning at home. When I looked upwards, I saw her looking at me in the same way I was to her.
"You want to say something?" She asked defensively.
Seeing that I was caught, I might as well converse and get to know her. If she is worthy enough to be allowed to address Hikigaya-kun by his first name which shows how close they are, then conversing with her is a must. She seems to be a decent person, the children already adore her.
"Yes, if you don't mind me asking. Are you close with Hikigaya-kun's family?"
Her eyes softened and she had a small smile on her face. "Yeah we're pretty close I guess. Our houses are nearby and sometimes my little sister and I spend some time with him and Komachi. We occasionally study at each other's houses. Our parents are friends."
"He…goes to your house?" I ask carefully, making sure to listen and remember every word that she says.
She nodded. "Yup, my parents and siblings trust him, his parents know me pretty well too."
"I have only met his Father a few times. That woman earlier?"
"Auntie? What about her?"
I tried not to look too surprised when she said "Auntie". It appears that I should make my move soon…
"I mistook her for his elder sister."
"Pfff-what?! No way…" She stopped herself, but when I nodded she started laughing. Her laugh was not very ladylike, but it was not an unpleasant one. "Hahahaha. For real? Wow, that must have been awkward. Was she the one who sorted that out for you?"
"No, I kept my mouth shut since I was too confused and shy to say anything." Ah, what a blunder…that was so embarrassing.
"I can imagine that. Uncle is very lucky to have such a beautiful wife like her. Not that there's anything wrong with his looks of course. His Father is also handsome, it's just that his eyes can be ah…a b-bit-
""intimidating and scary."" We both say at the same time and I could not help but giggle with her.
She smiled and returned a wave from one of the children who passed by. "Right? I thought he'd look just at home in a film about the Yakuza."
"My, what an amusing thought Kawasaki-san. And the plot would be about him trying to blend into society, while also hiding the fact that he is the heir of the biggest Yakuza Clan in Chiba."
She hesitated, but then gave me a pretty smile, made even prettier by the beauty mark under her right eye. "I'd watch that show, to be honest."
We talked for a bit until we're finally done with cleaning the utensils. This was supposed to be my final task, but if she allows me, I want to talk with her more. I…admit that I enjoyed speaking with her. I'm already learning a thing or two from her and she is easier to talk to when the topic is about him. I found out that she is quite a hardworking and independent individual for her age when she said that she is currently employed in two part-time jobs. I internally apologized to her for judging her too harshly. On the few times that I see her in school, I always thought that she was a bit rough, for the lack of a better word. She does not tie the red ribbon under her neck which is compulsory for the girls to wear, she even opens the top button of her uniform. She doesn't wear the blazer, and when she does it's either left unbuttoned or tied around her waist. So it comes to no surprise that she would be mistaken for a delinquent of some sort.
The clothes that she is wearing right now show off her long legs. She is the tallest girl in our group, only towered over by Hikigaya-kun, Tobe-san, Hayato-kun and Hiratsuka-sensei herself. She was also pretty, her long silvery-blue hair tied in a ponytail is eye-catching even from a distance.
I took a peek at her chest.
…
…
They were big.
It's bigger than mine.
Substantially bigger than mine, maybe even the same size as Yuigahama-san's. Perhaps I should avoid being seen next to blessed people like her, it would make me too self-conscious…
*Sigh*
I took consolation in the words that Hikigaya-kun spoke when we were at the park:
"It's not the size of the breast the matters, it's the girl that's attached to them!" - Hikigaya Hachiman
I bit my lip and hid my smile with my hand when Kawasaki-san turned to me. "Yukinoshita, I'm going to go to the other kids if they need some help. What are you doing?"
"If you would allow me, then I would like to" The words died in my throat when I saw Hikigaya-kun sitting alone on the rise which overlooked our area, it appears that he has his eyes transfixed on something. "On a second thought, I have to go somewhere else."
"Ok. Don't let me keep you then."
"I enjoyed our talk very much Kawasaki-san. I can see why Hikigaya-kun trusts and calls you as his friend." I say which caused a slight blush to form on her cheeks. We separated after exchanging goodbyes and I walked to where Hikigaya-kun was.
Whether or not he was aware of my approach, he did not turn to me and continued staring at something or someone below. I followed his line of sight and saw Hayama-kun speaking with the girl from earlier, the one who was a loner and was an outcast in her group. There was some snickering from the other girls until she just straight up left him there and walked towards us and stayed a small distance away.
Yuigahama-san said something in response to Hayama-kun, but I could not properly hear her reply. Hikigaya-kun sighed, and muttered something about her being "retarded".
"Hmph, they are all retarded." She said while looking at her schoolmates.
Hikigaya-kun raised a brow and put his arms across his chest. "Oh? What makes you say that?"
She turned to him. "Everything. How they act, their attitude and mannerisms, it's all just stupid."
"That is a rather pessimistic view for someone as young as yourself."
"Name?" She asked.
"Before you ask something like that, it is customary your you to give out yours first," I say.
She gave out a slight pout before answering. "Tsurumi…Rumi."
"My name is Yukinoshita Yukino. This boy here is Hikigaya Hachiman."
She looked between the two of us as if looking for something. She finally stopped at Hikigaya-kun. "You were the one who walked away."
"Yes, what of it?"
"Thank you for earlier."
"You're welcome. Having fun with your little field trip?" He asked.
She looked down and shook her head. "No, not really."
"Same here." I arched a brow and wordlessly turned to him. He looked like he was enjoying his time with the others earlier so his words were rather unexpected. "I'd much rather stay at home than go out in this terrible weather. I can't wait to play games all day and read my light novels and manga…" He said dramatically with emphasis on the word "terrible".
"Hikigaya-kun, I can't comprehend how you could describe the weather that we are having as 'terrible." I sighed and shook my head.
"I have a low tolerance to the Summer heat that's all. You already know that I didn't like going out much, nor playing outside with others since I have no friends and therefore, no one to play with."
He started going into his depressing flashbacks, so I decided to intervene. "Don't mind him Tsurumi-san. He is just your average loner, nothing special."
I expected him to make a witty retort, but he closed his eyes and nodded. "That I am. Damn, I should have brought Vita-chan with me… Tch!"
I took a few steps closer to her. "Tsurumi-san, do you not have any friends?" I watched her eyes, they looked quite sad and lonely. I guess this is an answer enough.
"No, I don't. I don't like them anyway, it's fine if I'm alone."
We stopped and looked at Yuigahama-san who was making her way towards us. "Yahallo Hikki, Yukinon!" Then she went eye-level with the little girl and introduced herself. "You're Tsurumi Rumi, right? Nice to meet you!" She was put off by Yuigahama-san's excessive cheerfulness and turned to Hikigaya-kun who addressing her.
"What's wrong with being alone? It's better to be alone than to be around toxic people. You have nothing to gain from them." Hikigaya-kun continued. Yuigahama-san asked what he meant so we gave her a summary of our conversation.
"You're friends with her too…?" She asked him.
He put his hand on her head and then proceeded to give her head pats. "This cheeky airhead right here? Yes, unfortunately. For without my guidance, she could destroy the world as we know it."
"Who are you calling an airhead!?" Yuigahama-san shook off his hand and attempted to put her arm over his shoulder. Due to the height difference, it was rather impossible so he had no choice but to lower himself a bit. "Anyway, Hikki and I are friends! Don't be scared of his eyes, he's nice!"
"Yes yes, I possess the Mystic Eyes of Life and Death…"
I felt a pang of jealousy struck me when I saw them like that. I am once again reminded that of all the people here, I am the least close to him…
She blinked several times and looked between the two of them, just like how she did when it was still just Hikigaya-kun and me. Her eyes narrowed when they finally stopped on him as she tilted her head to the side. "You're weird."
Hikigaya-kun stood straight and comically puffed out his chest. "Yes I am weird and I am quite aware of that thank you very much." Yuigahama-san and I giggled as he went for his strange sense of humour and sarcasm.
"You have a wide array of friends don't you?"
"What makes you say that?"
"Well, umm… You say that you're a loner, but you don't act like one." She said after thinking for several moments. She must have noticed his closeness with the others, namely with Miura-san, Kawasaki-san and Ebina-san.
Yuigahama-san hummed and nodded to herself as she put a hand under her chin. "Hmm! Well, Hikki was a loner when we first met, always keeping to himself and all that. But then as time went on, he started getting some friends here and there! He's super helpful and smart and stuff so that helped a lot! Oh but he's still a bit shy and huge tsundere! It took so long for him to warm up to us and call each other by our first names too!"
"Thank you, Yui for that very informative speech, but she wasn't talking to you. You didn't even answer her question." He sighed before being hit on the shoulder by Yuigahama-san.
Tsurumi-san looked at the two of them before shaking her head. "No, I understood some things at least…"
She opened up to us on her worries, on when they started and what she intends to do about it. She was utterly devastated when we told her that things would not change once she enters Middle-School, I can attest to that. It will only get worse if she does not do anything about it. Yuigahama-san and I were doing most of the talking. We told her of the reality of the world, and people can be harsh and unforgiving. Hikigaya-kun sat a small distance away on the base of a tree and was very silent and did not say a single word the whole time.
He bit the back of his thumb with a faraway look in his eyes as he blankly stared at nothing in front of him.
Hiratsuka-sensei walked away after saying that she's retiring for the night. She and Yukino-chan talked about helping that Tsurumi girl as a part of their club activities. The others were either silently contemplating or talking and expressing their ideas. Yumiko and Tobe's suggestions were too shallow and would never work. I was hoping that Hikigaya would voice his idea, but he remained silent and just listened in on everyone. Even though he's right beside me and after I nudged his leg a few times, he still shows no sign of actively taking part.
I felt hope when Hina spoke up…but well, Hina is just being Hina I guess…
Yumiko quickly took the initiative and tried to lead her away since she might disturb the others.
"Unless most of the girls are involved, I don't see any plan that we make pull through. We need to somehow make a scenario for them to come together, and if possible, sort out their differences and be friends." I say loud enough for everyone to hear.
Yukino-chan scoffed and put her arms around her chest. "An idiotically optimistic plan like that would never work. Blind optimism I say… Open your eyes Hayama-kun. You can't do anything." Her cold words were like a stake stabbed into my chest and I had to resist forming my hands into knuckles. Hikigaya arched his brow and looked at me from the corner of my eye after whistling.
It wasn't just him who heard it, Yumiko stopped in her tracks and turned to us. She looks angry.
"Oi, Yukinoshita-san. What the heck is your problem huh?"
The girl in question calmly looked to Yumiko. "You wish to say something, Miura-san?"
"Everyone here is trying to help Tsurumi. If you don't like Hayato's idea, then you should just politely disagree like a normal person. What kind of reply was that? Seriously? Tch, what a rude girl."
She took it in stride as if conversations like these were commonplace for her. "I was merely speaking facts, Miura-san. Something that Hayama-kun failed or outright refused to acknowledge."
Yumiko scoffed and crossed her arms around her chest. "You know, this is why I hate spoiled rich girls like you. Acting high and mighty, and that attitude of yours isn't helping fix things at all. If you have nothing to contribute except shooting down everyone's suggestions, then go back to our cabin and sleep or something."
"Ara, it seems like the feeling is mutual. I detest loud girls like who speak without using their brains."
Before things could escalate, Yui spoke up to the two. "Yumiko, Yukinon! Calm down the both of you!" She chided.
"Hmph. It might be just me but Tsurumi isn't the only cold one." Even with Yui's words and Hina tugging on her arm, Yumiko wasn't backing down. "At least she is just a bit shy and a victim of bullying, unlike a cold and condescending princess who looks down on everybody. There's one here right now." She smirked and put a hand on her hip.
Yukino-chan sighed and put a hand on her temples as if she suddenly had a headache. "Ah, persecution complex I see. Very common, for commoners like yourself."
"Excuse me?"
"Do I need to explain it to you? Forgive me, I see that you are unaware of that term…"
"You expensive piece of shit. This is why people hate you. Your attitude is absolute trash, too bad that the only thing good about you is your slightly above average looks." Yukino-chan frowned at Yumiko's words, which must have slightly irked her.
"I admit my imperfections, but at least I don't dress up like a common whore."
I've heard enough, I was about to stand up and break them up but Hikigaya turned to me.
"Wait." I read his lips and the words died down in my throat the two continued to throw toxic words on each other.
"Oh, attacking my looks now, are we? Like I haven't heard that before, you need to try harder Princess. What's wrong? Gonna cry? Is Daddy's precious little Princess gonna cry?" Yumiko put her hands on the sides of her eyes and pretended to cry. She ignored Hina who was still trying to stop her.
I saw Yukino-chan's shoulders stiffen. "Says the wench who latches onto every dominant male in her vicinity…"
That was too far.
That was way too far.
Yumiko stopped and stepped forward until she was right in front of Yukino-chan who was still sitting. Everyone, included myself, were holding our breaths.
"Take that back."
"I will if you apologize."
"Ugh, as expected for someone as stuck up as you."
"Is that a praise, Miura-san? I will, but only if you do it first."
She laughed and shook her head. "Ah, what did I expect. Someone like you doesn't even know how to apologize. Come to think of it, have you apologized to Hikio yet? Talking down, treating him like shit as if he was a, as you'd call it, 'a lower life form'? Isn't that, like, your favourite pastime when you're at your little club, Ms. Club President?"
Those words took her back and the air was still for several seconds. I saw the eyes of Hikigaya's little sister's eyes go wide, Kawasaki-san deeply frowned while Totsuka, Tobe and Yui winced.
All of us here are guilty, we know that fact, but chose to ignore it since he didn't complain. I had dropped a word or two about it to him privately before, but he just shrugged my words off. My concern just became a bother for him, so I stopped altogether. The one with the most surprising expression was Hikigaya, his face was blank as he just stared at the two.
"Miura-san, please refrain from speaking about things that you barely understand-" She started weakly but Yumiko wasn't finished yet.
"'Don't understand?' Everyone here knows that you treat him like that. Everyone. Have you ever wondered why some people look at you funny when you're in the hallways? It's because everyone knows. I don't know what's your problem with him but I've never seen him fire back. Who do you think you are anyway?"
"H-He and I have already-"
"You what?" Yumiko said as she stepped closer. "Because from what I heard you're still doing your usual thing. Yui and he are my friends, if I find out that you did something to them, I swear I'm going to-"
"Yumiko, that's enough…!" I say but I might as well have been talking to a deaf person. No one paid any attention to me, everyone was too frozen and shocked to do anything but watch as all of their eyes were on the two.
"It causes me great pain, but I must agree with Hayama-kun. You are going out of control Miura-san. I suggest you cool off by removing yourself from our presence. The mere sight of you is…" I thought that she was going to back me up, but instead, she just added fuel to the flame.
"Come to think of it, why are you still with him anyway?" She continued, her eyes glowing fiercely and ignoring both of us. "Do you love antagonizing him? Wait, are you that kind of person? Gross. Is this some sick and disgusting pleasure that you get off to-"
"I would NEVER do that!" Yukino-chan finally stood up and raised her voice. Yui and Hina tried to speak up, but both of their efforts were in vain.
Yumiko's smirk widened. "Oh? Really? 'Cause, that's the only reason that I can think of on why you're still sticking close so to him."
"Your words are disgusting, fit for someone like you."
"Says the living block of ice who has no friends. I guess that's to be expected. Blocks of ice are just blocks of ice after all. I bet Hikio's just putting up with you out of pity since you don't have any friends!" Yumiko spat and from the corner of my eye, Yui looked down at her hands.
Yukino-chan's face was hard, it looks like Yumiko's words hit her where it hurts. If she flinched from that, there must be some truth to it, no matter how small or insignificant it is. Even if it's all in the past, the fact remains that it happened.
"Hey can't we all just get along…?" Tobe muttered to himself as he rested his head on the table, unable to watch anymore. He's not good with things like these, infighting and all that.
Hikigaya finally stood up beside me. I'm glad he did since I'm still mentally unprepared to do anything. "The both of you, stop it. Yumiko gives her some space." He said as he started walking towards them.
She turned to him warily, her frown still on her face. "What the-? What are you doing Hikio?"
When she heard his voice, I saw Yukino-chan sigh in relief. "Hikigaya-kun, thank goodness. I would have preferred it if you had come sooner. This friend of yours has quite a mouth."
"Oh look who's talking! Shut it!" Yumiko seethed with venom. "Same here! Tch! For a spoiled princess like you, you sure know how to piss someone off!"
"Yukinoshita, be quiet." He said rather sternly which caused her to instantly seal her mouth shut. Then, he went up to Yumiko. Hina looked relieved as well now that another person has come. "Yumiko please…"
She angrily looked at him as if he had gone mad and I flinched at the intensity in her eyes. "Hikio, are you seriously defending someone like her? This…disrespectful and rude cunt…?!" She exclaimed in utter disbelief with wide eyes.
He just shook his head. "This has gone long enough."
"Hikio! I can't believe you…! Are you seriously choosing her over me?!" Yumiko yelled at him, but he just stood still as her words washed over him. "This damn girl said all those bad things about me! I can't let this slip by!"
"Yumiko…the both of you are at fault here. I'm not choosing anyone." Hikigaya softly said.
"Every word that I said was right! You know I'm right! So why are you defending her damnit?!" She exclaimed before stomping her foot in frustration.
Hikigaya took a short moment to ponder on her words. He visibly flinched, then something flashed across his face, an expression that I couldn't quite describe. He gulped before looking to Yukino-chan beside him and then to Yumiko. "I know you're angry but please calm do-" He didn't answer her question but was interrupted when she took a step and shoved him, but it wasn't enough for him to lose his balance. He saw it coming yet didn't do anything about it.
Yukino-chan looked appalled at Yumiko after she seeing the act. "Don't touch him, wench…!"
"I said shut it bitch!
"Yumiko…this isn't about who's right…." He said with a low voice, but at this point, even his words weren't enough to alleviate the tension nor the anger and frustration inside Yumiko. Even when he was just shoved moments ago, Hikigaya tried approaching her to give her a reassuring hand. She stepped back and narrowed her eyes at him and Yukino-chan who had positioned herself closer to him.
She fiercely scowled at her. "What's this? You said that I 'Latch onto strong guys in my vicinity.' But what are you doing right now Ice Princess?" She spat with venom.
Yukino-chan said nothing.
Yumiko muttered something under her breath before looking up to meet Hikigaya's eyes. "Why would you…? Why her of all people? Even though…?" She said silently, her voice barely above a whisper as she clenched her shaking fists. She bit her lower lip as her breath hitched on her last words. She looked at him in the eye, unyielding, until something glistened at the corner of her eyes.
And then fell to the ground.
She's furious, that much is clear. Her voice, not much different. And most of all…
…she looks so hurt, betrayed and heartbroken.
It was clear what she was feeling. No other emotion could force someone to say things like that. No other emotion could make her sound so hurt and betrayed when she thought and felt that she wasn't chosen. No other emotion could make you feel so defensive when you see the person who hurt the one that you hold dear.
It is only expected for one to cherish and be protective of the people that they love in their lives, after all.
Be it a friend, a family member, or a...
Hikigaya was surprised when he saw her shedding tears. He quickly turned to Hina who stood frozen, not knowing what to do anymore after being ignored by the two girls. "I'll take it from here Hina. Come on Yumiko, let's have some tea yeah? Just the two of us." He stepped toward her and tried to reach her hand to lead her away and hopefully calm her down…
but she instantly shook him off…
and then slapped him hard right across the face.
She must have hit him with some force since she managed to have his head turn to the side, causing some strands of his hair to fall back on his forehead. The sound was loud, made even louder by the deafening silence that followed as everyone was frozen in place. He turned back to her after slowly touching the area where she hit him. The expression he had on his face was a pained one.
To everyone's surprise, the first one to react was Yukino-chan. She tightly clenched her hands into fists.
"You-! How dare you-?!" She's seething.
It's the first time that I've seen her like this. I doubt even Haruno-san or their parents have seen this side of her. Maybe this is also the first time that she's handling this kind of emotion. The others stood up when she stepped forward towards Yumiko. Witnessing the calmest and collected person I know, snap like that made me speechless and I found myself frozen on the spot.
I...I can't move.
"Oi!"
"Hey break it up!"
"Please calm down!" The voices from the others came at the same time as I dully watched them, feeling so helpless and useless. Even though they were close by, their voices sounded so far away and muffled.
It's… It's happening again.
Just like last time.
Before things could get physical, Hikigaya and Hina put themselves between Yukino-chan and Yumiko, who were still shocked at what she had done. He put an arm around Yukino-chan's waist and lightly dragged her away from the other two. "Yukinoshita, calm down! She didn't mean it."
Hikigaya's complexion has always been on the pale side, even paler than Yukino-chan's. Somewhat unhealthy pale even, so the red mark on the side of his face was very prominent.
As if suddenly realizing what she had done, Yumiko laid her eyes on her right hand, some tears falling on it. She looked like she was looking at something disgusting. It looked like Hina's words aren't reaching her. She turned and looked to Hikigaya who's still trying to calm down the black-haired girl, he held her arm, just in case she might do something again.
"H-Hikio…I-I'm so-…I-I didn't m-mean to…" Her breath hitched as hiccups rocked her chest. Regret and guilt were plastered on her pretty face. I didn't expect her to do that, but everyone handles their emotions differently. Especially when stressed out or being in an argument that got too heated...
When Yumiko slowly approached him, Yukino-chan struggled against his grasp which forced her to stop. Yui and Totsuka immediately went to calm down Yukinoshita, while Kawasaki and Hikigaya's little sister stood a small distance away.
Hikigaya turned to her having a soft expression on his face. "Yumiko, it's alright…it's alright…" He gave her a small smile while blood trickled from his swollen lower lip down to his chin.
Seeing him force a pained smile like that, the wound that she gave him, something that she inflicted must have been too much for her to bear. She took a step back and untangled herself from Hina.
Without another word, she covered her face with her hands and turned in the direction of their cabin and ran away. Leaving us still stunned and reeling from what happened.
Damn Season 3 Episode 11 was a roller-coaster ride of emotions...
Legit cried until tears wouldn't come out anymore...
Anyway, here's my A.N.
Sorry for the late update, I was supposed to pass this on the 11th of September, but I got busy with some stuff.
Time flew so fast, it's already been three years since I started writing this. This was just something of an idea that sprouted from my mind after I finished reading the LN three years ago. Who would have thought that this story would reach 47 chapters with a total of 321k words!
"What if this happened?"
"What would have it been like if they met like this?"
"What if instead of Hachiman sacrificing himself, he decided to do something, that his CANON self would never even think of?"
It always starts with "What if?" scenarios, something that all of us frequently think about.
After the season ends, I'm sure I'll be crying buckets. This series will always have a dear place in my heart. And although it pains me to see it end, I smile knowing that a masterpiece such as this existed and that it managed to make such a huge impact on my life.
I know that I am not alone and that this series as a whole, the one created by Wataru Watari-sensei, has made a positive impact on millions of its fans worldwide. It has taught us so much.
That it can't be expressed by a single word.
Thank you for your support these last three years and I hope you'll be with me until I conclude this story and all of my future works too.