Hikigaya Hachiman's Path to Reformation
Yuigahama Yui is Someone That He Needs
"...Hikki… Is this wrap thing edible?" I ask as I hold the big shawarma with both of my hands. It had a bunch of shredded cabbages, sliced cucumbers, sauces, onions, chopped garlic and lots and lots of meat inside.
"Yeah… I think so…" He looks at it curiously and takes a whiff of it. Hikki leans down and bites when I raise my hand for him. I look at him while he scrunches up his face while chewing, tasting it before he tells me his thoughts. He didn't look satisfied and takes another mouthful again.
He closes his eyes and crosses his arms across his chest. "Hmm… Yeah, it's good. The meat is soft and tender, and the sauce is just right."
I take a bite from it and start eating as well. Hikki is right, it's really good! The meat is soft and juicy too, but it tastes strange. It's the first time that I've eaten something like this. I've seen some food stands sell this stuff in the mall before but I never bothered to buy one before since Yumiko and Hina aren't fond of foods like these. I honestly wouldn't be able to finish this in one sitting too.
I have another one, a bigger portion this time. "Hikki… What kind of meat is this?" I ask while chewing.
His cheeks were puffed out like me, making him look like those cute little masters that I see in pet stores. "I think it's Goat and Beef." He says before I raise it for him to eat again. This shawarma is big, nearly as big as my two fists on top of each other. I doubt even Hikki could finish this alone. But Hikki is a guy so I think he can do it if he forces himself.
"Oh, so that's why it's unfamiliar. Did they roast it here?"
"Yup. The meat was stuck to those machine things, I don't what they're called. And then they'd use a knife to take strips from it and heat the wrap on the side where it's hot. It looked cool, to be honest." He says and gestures to a specific direction, one of the more crowded ones. A few children walk out with the snack in their small hands, making them look even bigger.
"Really? I'd like to take a look too."
He nods after leaning down to take a mouthful again. He likes it huh…a few more chomps and we're going to finish the whole thing. "I'm going to buy Komachi and my Mother this stuff too, it's really good." I take one last bite from the shawarma before I decide to give the rest to him.
Hikki and I aren't embarrassed about this sort of stuff anymore. When he was still teaching me how to cook at the Home Economics room with just the two of us, he doesn't mind tasting my food from the same spoon that I used. I had accidentally made him use mine, and we just went with it I guess. It goes the same for food. Yukinon is always visibly bothered when we do it in her presence. We can't help it since we buy snacks before going to the club. At this point, it's sort of like a ritual or something. Sometimes, Yukinon makes a snide comment directed at Hikki. But he just shrugs off her words like always.
"Hmm? What about your Father?" I ask before taking a sip from my water bottle. Hikki shakes his head, and I start wiping the corner of his mouth with a tissue that had a small smudge from the sauce. He doesn't cringe away from me and obediently sits still to wait for me to finish.
He got his eyes from his Father, and the rest of his facial features were a mix from both of his parents. His smile reminds me of Komachi-chan and his Mother, even though I've only met the two of them once.
"He's always busy and doesn't come home often."
"Oh? Where does he sleep…?"
"He sleeps in his office with a futon that he hides in his file cabinet."
My eyes widen from surprise. I waited for him to follow up, but he just turns to me with a questioning look. "He's a bit of a workaholic… Even though he can ease up a bit, he works as though he's still your humble salaryman."
"Hmm… I can see where you got your workaholic habit from! You should follow what your Sensei tells you, Hikki. You shouldn't overwork yourself too much!"
He rolls his eyes after I give him the rest of the shawarma. "You sound like Shiromeguri-senpai. She and I work in a bookstore for her cousin, Boss Yuuka. You should see the both of them right next to each other, they look so similar." He says and takes a bite from his food.
"By the way Yui," He points to the paper bag that's resting on my lap that stored some of the other food that he bought. "we should hurry up and finish the rest of this."
Uwaaaaaahhh… Just looking at it makes me feel so full…
"Hikki…" I rub my head against his shoulder, "Why'd you buy so much…? We can't finish all of this! What are these things that you brought me anyway?"
To answer my question, he reaches into the bag and starting feeling something with his hands. I blush a bit when I feel his fingers brush several times against the bottom of the bag. H-He better not be touching my thighs on purpose…
He starts taking out things and naming them before putting them back and getting a new one.
"This is a 'burrito'."
"It looks just like a shawarma thing… Just a bit messier, and it smells spicy."
"These are 'fish and chips'."
"Huh? That's a fish? Is it covered in breading? It smells nice though. And looks greasy…"
"This one is a 'chebureki'."
"Oh, it's small and cute!"
He takes out another chechbjureki, but it looks different and paunchy. It's half the size of my hand, Hikki quickly puts it on a tissue since it's still hot and gives it to me. "This one is an 'empanada'."
I look at it curiously, lightly touching and smelling it. "Empanada huh… Hmm… It looks similar to the cherurekee…" I take a bite from it and look at its contents. "It's good Hikki… It has beans, ground pork, boiled eggs, some onions, red pepper and corn inside… The dough is crunchy too."
I turn to him when he pokes my shoulder. "Yui, it's called 'chebureki'."
"Chezbjerki"
"Chebureki."
"Chejurjerki!"
"Che-bu-re-ki."
After drinking some from his bottled tea, I wipe my mouth and try to say it again. This is harder than I thought. Hikki should just shut up and let me eat in peace!
"C-Chebureki…"
"That's right." He says and slightly opens his mouth and I give the rest to him. We nod and smile in satisfaction at each other after several moments. After chewing and swallowing it, he returns to present the other snacks. I could never imagine myself doing something like this at school with him, so this is a first for the both of us.
"I got this for free." He says proudly and puffs out his chest. It was in a small Styrofoam container with a plastic lid on. "Some exchange students were passing these around. They call them 'Salade Russe'. I have no idea what this is, but the little kids seem to enjoy it. Tch, I should have taken some more since it's free… Food tastes even better when you don't have to pay for it!" He exclaims before drinking from the bottled tea.
"Prepare yourself Yui. Once we get up from here, I'm gonna buy some more!" Hikki points at the remaining food stand where lots of people were waiting in their lines.
"H-Hey! I get it that we're on a date but it's not just about eating snacks!" I say and pull on his sleeve. What a weirdo, where'd he get the idea that a date is all about eating? Is this something guys do? I can't compare since it's the first time that I've gone on a date with a boy, and I can't just ask my friends from the other classes since it's embarrassing.
It's…a bit difficult to ask Yumiko and Hina about it. I feel like it'll put me in a tough spot if I do. From my observations, they don't seem to be interested in Hikki at all. Though I could be wrong and that they're just hiding it. It's the same with Yukinon… I could have always asked Komachi-chan but I decided against it.
He smirks and then turns to me. "There's a reason why I'm buying quite a lot. A lottery later after the event is going to take place. The 'tickets' are taken from stuff that you buy here at the event… Oh and I already registered your name earlier."
I smile widely once I understand what he's getting at. "So that's why-!" I thought it was weird for someone like Hikki to spend so much, he is always so frugal at school!
"Exactly! The more stuff we buy, the higher the chances of getting the prizes!" He exclaims and takes his phone and shows me a photo with the list of prizes that could be won.
"Five prizes huh… Twenty winners for a 20000 worth of gift certificate and some appliances… Also, what's with you getting hyped over appliances? You sound like a housewife!"
Instead of making a snarky retort, Hikki laughs while having a smug look on his face. "Fufufufufu! Of course!"
"Uwaaah…"
The fifth and fourth prizes didn't catch my attention. What I had my eyes on were the remaining three. Ten winners for flat screen TV's, Five winners for the latest models of washing machines, as well as a forty-kilogram sack of rice. The 'jackpot' prize was only for two lucky winners: the most advanced smartwatch that's in the market right now. The model that could be one is really expensive too, it only came out last week I think and already has really good reviews online.
Aside from that, the two winners get to spin a wheel, and if they win it as well, they can win a trip to Kyoto and stay at one of the prestigious hotels for four nights. All necessary expenses are already paid for, and they even have the Summer Festival on schedule too.
"Oh! I've always wanted to go to Kyoto! I hear it's pretty there during the Summer! What do you want to win Hikki?"
"Just the rice honestly, oh and the watch is good too." He stops and shows me the model's specifications before continuing. "The rice is a necessity since there is an increase in the price of rice in the next few months. As for the watch, I've always wanted to try getting a digital watch, or a smart one now that the chance has presented itself."
"You're not interested in the trip…?" I ask. He suddenly sports a blank expression, before checking the date of the trip and taking back his phone. After several moments, he slowly nods and starts muttering something under his breath. He starts counting with his fingers and checking something on his phone too.
"Sorry, I was just checking some things. I guess it's fine if I win it too I guess." He says before downing the rest of the food and crumpling the small paper wrap and throwing it at the nearby garbage bin. He comes back and silently eyes me with interest.
"What is it, Hikki? Do I look strange to you in normal clothes~?" I giggle teasingly.
He shakes his head and his eyes go over me once more. "No, of course not. You look cute and charming. It's just that…" I blush as his hands go under his chin and he examines me again, looking at my neck and hands. I don't mind the attention, I like it. But I can't say that it's not embarrassing with how close he is and that we're in a public place.
He snaps his fingers and crosses his legs. "Ah, I got it. Yui, you don't mind if I suggest something, do you?" I was surprised at his words, more so on what he is implying.
"Go ahead! Don't I ask your opinion about lots of stuff at school anyway? Fire away Hikki!" He smiles at my words and nods.
He motions at the bottom of his neck with his hands. "That blouse is lovely and I think that a necklace would accent your skin very well. I'm even wearing mine too." He holds his collar and lightly pulls on it, revealing the said necklace that glinted. "Also, a silver bracelet would look wonderful on you, no? A ring would be fine too, but I think the former would be best."
I look down on myself and try imagining what he thinks. "Hmm, I-I didn't know that you think about this kind of stuff Hikki. Normally, I wouldn't expect a boy to have such a sharp and observant eye when it comes to stuff like these…"
He chuckles to himself once I was done. "I am the first person that my Mother and Sister go to when they want to ask about their clothes… So I can say that I have some experience in this stuff I guess?" A light blush dusts his cheeks, and he clears his throat. "Yui, you know that I used to be chunni, right…?"
"Yep, what about it?"
"Reservedness aside, I'm pretty good at drawing. And I used to draw lots of characters in different outfits. Sometimes I'd base them on the magazines at home or stuff that I find online. I was mostly good at Men's clothes, but Women's were more complicated so I devoted much of my time to master them. So I guess I developed an eye for this sort of stuff." He says while having a distant expression on his face and turns to see my reaction.
"Oh, so that's why your notebooks sometimes have sketches on them. I always see you absentmindedly drawing stuff in class. Don't you pay attention Hikki?" In the mornings, he always keeps one eye open while closing the other, and during break time, he naps when he chooses to stay behind in the classroom. Even at the Club, he sleeps when we don't have a request but answers properly when I talk to him.
He's been like that for a few weeks now. He suddenly did it one day and went on just like that. I thought that he may be lacking sleep at home or that he's overworking himself again. If he's at the library, it's a guarantee that he's taking a nap there. I once caught him sleeping on his desk at the StuCo after I decided to look for him. When I asked him about it, he just waves me off and says that he's fine. Aside from that, he's always drinking energy drinks in school to keep himself awake too.
"Yes but I do some advance reading so I can laze around at class more often, and I sometimes ask around my Senpai in the StuCo for their advice." He says and puts his hand in the bag and takes out the fish and chips inside the small box that contained it. We continue talking for a while about the things we saw earlier that caught our interest. It's still early so we don't need to hurry. The convention closes at 8:30 pm anyway.
"Aaaahh~…" I open my mouth to receive the potato fries that he has on his fingers. "Hikki, why are they called 'chips' and not 'fries'? They're fries…look at its shape." I point out the thing that's been bothering me.
He takes a small chunk from the fish before eating it. "I don't know. Language differences I guess. Like how we use 'flashlight' and 'pharmacy'. Some foreigners asked me once where they can find a 'chemist' and I was really confused." He says get a small paper sachet filled with salt and turns to me. "Yui, do you want to put some salt on the frie- I mean, chips?"
"Just a bit, thanks."
We continue eating it together until a comfortable silence comes over us as we watch the different kinds of people walk past the bench that we occupied. I'd open my mouth when I want more and he'd put some food near it for me to lean and take it. My lips and tongue brushed his fingers a few times. I want to get back at him for teasing me earlier, but if I do this too much he may think that I'm a dirty girl…
When we were finally done, he was about to excuse himself first by going to the restroom to wash his hands when we noticed a pair of foreigners talking loudly at one of the food stands. Two women looked out of place because of the low-cut shorts and revealing top that they wore. Most of the people that walked past them secretly had disapproving glances. Walking out dressed like that isn't the norm here…modesty is always practised. You'd see the occasional tourist walking around in the places worth seeing here in Chiba, most of them Westerners.
From their tone, they didn't sound angry, more like confused as they glanced at their phones while speaking to the vendor. Hikki and I watch them for some time until I decide to pull on his sleeve.
He leans down when I gesture at him. "Hikki, do you hear what they're saying?"
"Only bits."
"What language is that?"
"Dutch. It's Dutch." He says not a moment too soon. I see him tap his thigh with his finger and he speaks again. He looks restless and I can pretty much tell what he's about to do. "Do you think I should go help them out? They look like they're in a tough spot." He turns and asks for my permission.
I nod and smile. "Go ahead. I'll just stay here."
That's Hikki for you! Always so helpful and eager to lend a hand! If he'll run for StuCo President next year, I'm voting for him!
He gets up and walks, and when he was close enough, says something which catches their attention. The two women exchange looks of surprise before laughing and smiling. They were maybe four years his senior, and I couldn't hear them anymore over the background noise. I also couldn't see what kind of expression that he had since he was facing away from me. Hikki shakes his head, and he gestures in my direction before the three of them turn to me.
I gave them a slight bow, to which they smiled and returned one of their own. They talk for a few minutes before exchanging goodbyes. Instead of coming back to me, he makes a washing gesture with his hands and points in the other direction.
"Well? How'd it go?" I ask when he finally arrives.
Hikki grins and pulls on my cheek, much to my embarrassment. H-He's being very a-affectionate today huh… I wonder what's gotten into him...
"They said that you were a beauty. Of course, I agreed and added a word or two as well hehehehehehehe…" He teases and scoots closer to me.
I make a face and pull myself away from him. "E-Enough with the compliments!" Narrowing my eyes at him in a threatening way had no effect, it only made him chuckle and tease me even more.
"Ahahahaha. Well, they were lost and asked where they could find the information and help desk." Hikki says as his eyes linger on their retreating forms for several moments. He has a deep look on his face as if he was reading a book that had some hard and confusing Kanji on them. L-Look at them walk around in those clothes… There are kids here you know!
To get his attention, I wave my hand in front of his eyes and ask him what he's thinking about. "Oh, well they were surprised that I had some grasp over their language and wanted me to show them around..." I say and laughs awkwardly.
I pout and narrow my eyes again at him, before taking his right arm and pulling it closer to my body. The warm feeling within me comes back when I intertwine our fingers with each other. He didn't mind. I was going to tease him a bit and hold him tighter until I feel his elbow touch the side of my breast. It wasn't much, but it was enough to make the both of us stop.
"..."
"..."
"Yui, loosen up a bit…" He says in a low voice.
I gulp and muster my courage to at least make a proper reply. I-I already did it anyway, it'll be useless if I get something like this mess my head! You can do it Yui! B-Be like Yumiko! She's assertive! Hikki is super weak to assertive girls!
"You shouldn't get flustered by small stuff like this, Hikki… I'm just holding onto your arm…"
He looks down and starts dusting away at nonexistent dirt on his pants. "Well, if you say so…" He clears his throat and I feel him relax a little bit, though I kept my hold on him just in case.
"A-And while you're at it, stop looking at other girls… I want you all to myself for today…" I whisper to his ear, and he shivers from how close my lips were. Hikki blushes but manages to keep a straight face. It looks even funnier since his cheeks are pink despite how calm and collected he looks. I feel his thumb gently rub my hand, and I return the gesture by giving him a light squeeze.
"Okay… Sorry, Yui." He says and gives me an apologetic bow. "I was just thinking about what we were talking about."
To ease the awkward tension in the air, I playfully give his thigh a light slap. "Hehehehe. It's fine Hikki. Stop being so formal… Anyway, where were they from? Did they speak English?" I ask.
He shakes his head and turns to me with an amused smile. "No, my dear Yui. I didn't use English while speaking to them. I spoke Dutch."
"Dutch…?" I tilt my head and ask while trying to remember what country it comes from. "Dutch, Dutch, Dutch… Ah! I give up! Where is that, Hikki?"
His grin widens as he continues to have fun at my expense. "Clue: It's from where The Hachiman was constructed."
"That ship? The one during the company visit?" I ask and he nods. I start recalling the things that we learned. I remember most of it except for the tiny technical stuff like that.
"Um… Was it from The UK?"
"No, but you're close."
"Okay… France?"
"Close."
"Dutch Dutch Dutch… S-Spain?"
"You've gotten colder."
I bite my thumb as I continue to think about it. Geography isn't my strong suit...
"R-Russia…?" I ask unsurely, and he immediately erupts into laughter. The last time Hikki laughed like this was back in the Summer Camp. He puts his hand over his mouth as he continues trying to hold back his laughter. I pout and pinch his side, but it didn't have any effect.
His laugh is nice to hear. I wish he can show this side of himself at school more often, but I guess that's just too much to ask from him.
I just watch Hikki with a warm smile until he finally calms down.
"Yui why don't you touch her? Her scales are so smooth…"
On Hikki's lap was a large yellow snake, its body as thick as my forearm. It calmly flicked the air with its forked tongue while Hikki petted its head. The rest of it was coiled around the floor, the Keeper that was standing beside Hikki, said that this snake is four meters long. That's long…
If Hikki had a sinister look on his face right now, he would look like a villain!
Reluctantly, I sat beside him and lightly touched the snake's body. Hikki is right, her scales are smooth and clean too. It's docile, I never expected a snake this large to be like this. I guess I should stop watching those movies where the snake is a gigantic monster.
I take a few pictures of him, as well as ones where we're together when he requested the Keeper. I couldn't do a solo with myself since I was too scared.
"Uwaah, I wanted to touch it more… Too bad that there's a line to wait at…" Hikki sighs as we walk through the reptile exhibit.
We were done with the Kimono and Yukata display, Bonsai and Bird exhibits. We took lots and lots of pictures in different Kimono and Yukata together, as well as the other two and played those shooting games together in the arcade. It was a bit embarrassing when he went behind me and held my hands to teach me how to play. He smelled so nice too... After that, I dragged him to a Purikura- a Japanese photo booth. It was my way of teasing him since he's been teasing me since this morning. I made him do a lot of cute poses and filters that he almost walked out of the booth from the embarrassment and cringe.
There was even a shop that sold used books that were still in great condition. We spent quite a while there and Hikki bought a few for himself, his Father, Hiratsuka-sensei and for the StuCo President, Shiromeguri-senpai. I was content to just follow him around, and sit on the nearby bench while waiting for him. In his left hand were the Bonsai trees that he bought for us. I didn't know that he bought those until we were done looking around. They're in fancy boxes too, and he is careful not to move them around too much.
"Hikki, how much are those? I have to pay you back. You've been buying everything for us today and it's making me feel guilty."
He turns to me as if I had said something strange. "Isn't it customary for the guy to pay though?" His answer caught me off guard and I didn't know how to respond. "I have my sense of pride as a guy too."
"I'm not sure if it applies to here though…" Hikki looks up in wonder at my words, then shrugs and turns to me.
"Well, I don't mind."
To our right side were a bunch of tanks, terrariums and cages that hold different kinds of pets. We already held different kinds of lizards earlier. I couldn't name all of them except for the Chameleons and Skinks. As we were looking at the different species in their living spaces, something catches Hikki's eye under the table. He quickly takes my hand as I follow him, sometimes he peeks under before moving on again.
He lets go of my hand and reaches underneath, and after fixing my skirt, I lower myself to see what's caused him to get jumpy.
It was a chubby lizard, I think it's called a Bearded Dragon. Its scales were bright red as Hikki finally took it gently into his hands and sat up. It wasn't an adult yet like the others that we held and saw earlier. A Keeper jogs towards us and thanks Hikki for catching it. He pets its head a few times, and the lizard wiggles from his grasp and hops on his arm. It looked at him dead in the eye, and they both tilted their heads at each other at the same time. It was really cute, a good thing that I snapped a photo of them!
"Oh, she seems to like you…" The Keeper says as he watches the lizard lick Hikki's arm. "Would you like to get her? Bearded Dragons are very easy to take care of and don't require much maintenance." He says helpfully.
Hikki stays quiet, and then after having a thoughtful look on his face, turns to me. "What do you think Yui? Should I get her?" He says.
I was about to touch the lizard's scaly horny back when it hisses at me, almost causing me to jump out of my skin. Hikki, the Keeper, and some kids nearby laugh when I made a yelp of surprise. It opened its mouth several times as if laughing at me too. I try again, and this time she lets me touch her and starts bobbing her head up and down.
"I don't know Hikki, you should decide for yourself…" I say.
He nods and stares at it for several seconds with an amused look on his face. I thought he was going to say yes but he gently picks it up and gives it back to the Keeper. "Thank you, but I think her real home lies elsewhere."
"Oh, you have a good intuition kid. Some enthusiasts are looking for a specimen like her." He says and gestures to some people speaking to the other Keepers. Hikki and I decide to wash our hands since we've been touching different kinds of animals for some time. As we were walking, he looks at his hand and flexes it a few times. A fond smile was on his face while he did it.
"Hikki? Do you want to get her? We can still go back, you know?" I say, but Hikki shakes his head and resumes looking forward.
"No, it's fine. I don't know why, but I felt some sort of connection with her. I'm sure that I'm gonna see her again in the future." He says in a mysterious, yet hopeful tone.
"Really? Well if you're gonna have one in the future, then you should think of a name then!" Hikki smiles and starts chuckling. I saw the hands-on his watch when he swung them forward, only a little time left until the lottery…an hour at most. We've been walking around and explored much of the area, it's a good thing that I chose to wear sneakers instead of heels earlier this morning!
"I've already thought of one."
"Oh, what did you pick?" I ask.
He grins and nods to himself. "Liz."
I have to admit that it sounds cute!
After we washed our hands in the restrooms, we go out and decide to just wait out the rest of the time before the lottery starts. While Hikki was going through the things that he bought, I took small bites from the snacks that we still had. There's still quite a lot since Hikki is bent on getting lots of tickets to get the prizes.
Hikki suddenly stops rummaging, as if he senses something. He quickly takes my pink hat that I had made him wear and puts it over his face, before adjusting his seating position and putting his head on my shoulder. The act itself was surprising, but I didn't cringe away nor stop him. Hikki only uses light perfume since he told me that strong ones give him a headache and make him sneeze a lot. I always consider that. The cologne that he has on him right now is fragrant.
I quietly tap on his thigh, and he makes an 'okay' hand gesture. I decided to just shrug off his strange behaviour. His wanting to take a nap is the first thing that comes to mind. He did say that he was feeling drained earlier, I guess showing off for the kids tired him out. I ask him if he wants to eat something, to which he just carefully shakes his head since the hat may fall off. I rest my head on him while I browse my phone to pass the time.
We stayed like that for around an hour until it was time for the lottery to begin drawing. The 'tickets' were entered electronically with specific items that we purchased, so we don't have to wait in lines to submit ours. Hikki already gave me my designated number earlier when he came back. A crowd had already assembled at the designated area, and it's going to begin in a few minutes.
"Hikki? It's time…" I say in a soft voice. He holds the bottom part of the hat and slowly pulls it down. When his eyes were revealed, he starts looking around and then gives out a sigh of relief. "What's wrong? Did you see someone that you know?"
He nods and forces a smile. "Yeah, something like that…" His tone is strange. It's something that I've heard him make a few times before when he's hiding something.
"Was that person from Sobu?"
Something flashes across his face, it was too fast for me to see. I must have made a concerned face since he puts his hand over mine. "Thankfully not… Come on, let's go see if we'll win anything." He gives my hand a gentle squeeze as we start walking to the designated area.
A large crowd had already formed right before the stage. The announcer was still thanking the event's sponsors. I already know that Hikki isn't comfortable with crowds, so I lead him to the very edge, some distance away from the mass of people. Both of our ears perked up when we heard the announcer go on the list.
"Hikigaya Logistics and Accounting Services Corporation."
Hikki's hands go cold and sweaty when I turn to him. "Hikki! That's your Father's firm, right? Look, they're even showing the logo with the ship, plane and delivery van on it!" I can never forget that logo since it was everywhere at his Father's headquarters at the company visit. The logo was painted at the side of the ship, and also in the miniature model that we received after it. I put it in the living room since it looks cool.
He winces and nods shortly after. "I-I didn't know that he was a sponsor… Things are sure to get awkward if I win anything…" Hikki bites his thumb while thinking deeply.
"Yeah but the chances are really low you know? There's a lot of people here, more than a hundred from the looks of things…"
Hikki starts chuckling with amusement, and I raise a questioning brow at him. "Fufufufufu… My dear Yui, if there's one thing that I learned after playing shitty gacha games, it's that no matter how small the chances are, the possibility of getting the SSR character that you want is NEVER zero. As long as a chance exists, I'll gladly take it." He said, with conviction and confidence emanating from his eyes.
He sounded cool, and I think I get an idea as to what he's talking about. "Oh, if you look at it that way, then you're right!" Hikki smiles and pats my head several times before I see a glint in his eyes.
"Still, the chances are very low… And in all honestly, it's extremely unlikely that I win anything…" He glances at the prizes at the stage and then turns to me. "Do you want to make a bet with me Yui? To make things interesting?"
"Hmm? What kind of bet?"
"If one of us wins anything, the loser has to follow the winner's commands for an indefinite amount of time or until the winner says that the deal is done. What do you say?" He says and waits for my reply.
I put my hand under my chin while thinking about it.
So it's like a Master and Servant thing…? If I win, I can request anything from Hikki? Hmm, that sounds nice! I can have him help me out in my studies to raise my grades! Or I can tell him to stop teasing me too much! With this, maybe I can make him not act too uptight at school and be friendlier with Yukinon! He's been a bit distant to her lately… I can also use this to make him take me out on more dates in the future, hehehehe~…
Wait… It goes both ways.
I wonder what'll he make me do? Maybe he'll ask for my help in the StuCo or cook him up a bento or something… Hikki may be a shameless cheapskate, but I doubt that he'll go that far. On the other hand, it's things like these that Hina would come in and suggest lewd and dirty things… Like in those types of books that she reads…
Hikki isn't that type of guy, r-right?
I shake my head to forcefully rid myself of those kinds of thoughts before I start blushing again. "Hmm… Well, it's kind of like the deal we have at the Club, only that it's just the two of us." I close my eyes and think for a bit after I cross my arms around my chest.
"You're in the lead anyway Hikki, we completed all Club requests so far using your methods and suggestions. Even Rumi-chan's… So this will be the time that I make my super epic comeback!" I exclaim through the loud music in the background as I put my hands on my hips and face him.
"So I'll take that as a yes then?"
"Yup! I accept! Hehehehe~, get ready to kneel and lick my foot! I'm gonna make you my slave!"
Hikki smiles and then nods. "Okay, then. You have my word that I'll hold up my end of the deal. Anyway, it's starting so let's pay attention to the announcer." I would have liked to sit down on a bench, but there isn't one available nearby. The ones around were occupied by the elderly and children. There were a lot of people arriving to see if they would be lucky enough to win one of the prizes…
I want that watch, and that trip to Kyoto even more… I wonder what will happen if Hikki and I win that jackpot prize, and then that trip too… Hikki is given a lot of freedom and is responsible to boot, I think he'll get his parent's permission without much hassle. Well, that's what he says anyway and I also got that feeling from his Father back at the company visit. He may look a bit scary but he's laid back and loved by his employees.
Since I'm a girl, I don't think I could go so easily, much less if I went there with Hikki…
But it would be nice if I get to go. Four days with just the two of us, doing some sightseeing, paying our respects to the local shrines and temples and not to mention the Summer Festival there. I've never been to Kyoto, the ancient capital. I hear that it's pretty fast if you go there via the Shinkansen bullet train, but the fee is pretty expensive. Spending time with him for a few hours on a train doesn't sound so bad. I'd also get to wear a pretty Kimono, I know that Hikki will wear one if I ask him nicely too.
I guess my only option, for now, is to hope and pray that we win it together then!
"Hooooh, looks like there are some cameramen around…" Hikki says and points to the corner. "Must be for the local newspaper or something…"
I stand on my toes while holding him for balance to see over the mass of people. Unfortunately, I can't see much. "Hmm, this event is bigger than we thought huh…"
"You're telling me. I thought this venue was tiny from the outside. Maya-sensei didn't mention that this was such a big deal. I wonder if she and the others are still here... Shinna and that badly Isshin too..."
It didn't take long for the lucky ones to start walking up the stage once their numbers flashed on the large projector screen above. One by one, they went up and waited for the others to arrive. A few people whose numbers were called but didn't show up, so the announcer continued off and resumed. Hikki's eyes were closed the whole time, but I know he's just listening intently. Or maybe he's feeling sleepy.
When our names weren't called at the 2nd set of prizes, I hear Hikki click his tongue in annoyance. "Tch! I wanted that washing machine and rice too… Lucky bastards." He narrows his eyes with envy at the people who won.
I pinch his side for his use of profanities. "Hikki! Don't use bad words!"
Before the announcer declares the two winners of the jackpot, a short video clip was played, and it showed that much of the profits gained here would be donated to a nonprofit humanitarian organization that helps in the rebuilding and rehabilitation of those affected by natural disasters in the country. The firm that Hikki's Father owned was one of the major partners in it, as well as some Chiba-based companies as well. Once it was over, it was finally time to announce the two remaining winners.
Hikki gives my left hand a gentle squeeze. "Yui."
"Hmm?" I turn and look up at him.
Whatever he was about to say was interrupted when the winning numbers flashed on the screen. I frown at it and then look at the small piece of paper that I held in my other hand. I checked it several times while comparing it to the one displayed on the screen. There's no doubt about it
"Yui…? Isn't that…?" He says when he realized it.
It was my number.
It took a few seconds for me to understand what just happened, but when I did so, I couldn't contain my joy.
"HIKKIIIIIII! HIKKI! HIKKI! I WON! I WON! I WOOON!" I exclaim, jumping up and down while holding his hand excitedly. He grins and laughs with me, not minding the amused looks from several people around us.
"Wow, who would have thought…" He says out loud and gestures to the stage. "But you better go Yui. Climb up there and claim your prize, I'll just wait here for you."
"Hikki, you better fulfil your end of the bargain~!" I say and wink at him, before turning and quickly going to the stage. After I verified my number, I climb up and the announcer, as well as the people assembled here, started clapping. My happiness overcame what nervousness I had in me, and I smiled widely when a cameraman nearby took my picture. The lights that were on me were bright, and I can't see the back of the crowd where Hikki is staying.
The next set of numbers were announced, and everyone eagerly awaited the arrival of the lucky winner. They were given three minutes to come and was announced at the speakers. It's a bit awkward, with nothing to do except fidget my hands uncomfortably. I see some of Hikki's classmates in the crowd, the duo earlier who briefly spoke to him. When the lights moved their focus to another place, Hikki wasn't there anymore. After the time was up, the screen started jumbling out random numbers until it stopped. Three times the numbers were drawn, and still, no one came forward. It's the same for the next five attempts.
All of us were surprised that none of those drawn was present. They must have immediately gone home or ignored the lottery entirely.
At the 8th attempt, we waited for the next few moments, until I saw a figure walking towards the stage. The figure raised its hand, waving something and the lights immediately came down on it.
The ahoge on top of his head is the first thing that I see, and he makes a small smile when we make eye contact. Without even turning to him, the crowd parts as he walks through. He starts taking his first steps to the stage after verifying his number with the staff. He calmly walks and stands next to me while the crowd claps and some assistants bring in the spinning wheel for the secondary prize.
"Yo, Yui. You look happy." Even with all the background noise, lights and the cameras focused on us, his voice was as clear as day.
"Hey, Hikki. Hehehehehehehe~! Looks like we won huh?" My reply causes a chuckle from him, and I giggle in turn.
The wheel is like those that you see in game shows, only slightly smaller. It had the pointer at the top with lots of different colours that stood for the extra prizes that we could win. All colours had prizes except for the black one, and the jackpot was gold and was the biggest.
I take Hikki's arm and lead him to it, something that I realize I had done when the announcer and his attendant grin and wink at us. I take our things and let Hikki go first, putting his hand on the wheel and pulling down on it. He must have used too much force since it spun fast and the colours were a blur.
When our eyes met, he makes an awkward laugh. "A-Ahahaha… I thought that it wasn't loose…" The wheel finally started slowing down until we can make out the individual colours and the prizes.
Everyone held their breath as we watched it slow down until finally, the pointer stopped within the border of the jackpot prize.
In an instant, confetti and cheers erupted from everywhere, even Hikki was startled by the loud sounds from the speakers that came with it. I giggle as he awkwardly stands around while he holds his prizes, as well as the certificate as proof that he won. A few photos of him were taken, and he makes a stiff smile at the camera after I give him a reassuring nod.
He whispers something to the announcer, his eyes widen with surprise and nod vigorously. He stands up even straighter after Hikki shows him something, then he whispers to the attendant and ushers them to the technical team. Once everything had calmed down, he steps aside and I hand him our things. Before I nervously put my hand on the wheel, Hikki calls my attention from behind.
"Yui."
"Hmm?"
He grins, his eyes glinting teasingly as he raises his hand to give me a thumbs-up. "Good luck."
I return him a smile of my own and pull down the wheel. It wasn't as fast as Hikki's and didn't take long for it to slow down. Strangely, I feel calm now that it's my turn. I expected that I'd feel anxious, jittery or something like that, but I wasn't. It must be because Hikki's here with me. I always feel like when he's here, everything's going to be alright and nothing can go wrong.
The wheel starts going on its last few spins, and then…
The neighbourhood is quiet, only a few cars are running up and down the road, and barely any people on the sidewalk. It's gotten a bit late since Hikki and I missed the train and had to wait for another one. I look up to see clouds that were illuminated because of the light pollution coming from the city.
It would have been nice to see stars. I guess people who live in the city can't have that luxury.
Hikki squeezes my hand, and I turn to him giving me a concerned look. "Yui? Something on your mind?"
I nod and give him a reassuring smile. "Yeah."
He continues walking while having his eyes trained on me. A smile graces his face. "Did you have fun today?"
"Yeah. I had lots of fun today Hikki." I reply warmly.
"I see. That's good." Hikki unconsciously flexes his left arm, and it makes me aware of the things that he's carrying.
We're wearing a matching cap that advertised the event, as well as the logo of Chiba on the back. As a proud citizen of Chiba, Hikki was more than happy to receive this when we both won the jackpot prize earlier. He even requested three more for his family, and two for my own.
I still can't believe it... What are the odds that we'd both win the jackpot prize AND the trip too?
I guess Hikki is right about the chance thing that he mentioned before.
Hikki was right earlier too, some local newspapers took our photos after the event. Hikki looked nervous earlier when their lights started flashing, but he calmed down when I held his hand. His hands were shaking and cold, it was the first time that I saw him like that. I guess even someone calm and composed like Hikki can be nervous and skittish huh...
I'm glad I was there for him.
I'll come running from the other side of the world when he needs me. Because I know that he'll do the same for me too.
If I had my way, I'd want to be always by his side.
I must have been staring at him for too long since he gulps before turning to me with a funny face. "Y-Yui... Is there something on my face? You've been looking at me for some time now..." I can't see it clearly because of the dimly lit area we just entered, but there's no doubt that Hikki has a blush on his face.
I shake my head while giggling, before resting my head on his shoulder as we walk. "No, there's nothing. I just wanted to look at your face that's all."
Unsurprisingly, Hikki scoffs, before laughing sarcastically at himself. "Haaaaaaaaaah? Why would you want to look at my ugly face? Staring at my eyes for too long will turn you to stone."
Typical Hikki, always with the self-deprecating jokes...
He seethes in pain when I pinch his side. "Hikki... How many times do I have to tell you to stop it with the self-deprecating jokes?" We have a short staredown before he sighs and nods.
"Okay okay jeez... And stop it with the pinching, what are you, my Mother? You're going to leave my sides all red. AH!" He yelps again as I catch him off guard. A nerve ticks at his forehead, and he lets go of my hand and pinches my side as revenge.
I tried to avoid it, but he was too fast. It made me even more sensitive since my blouse is thin and airy.
"Kyaaaaaahh, Hachi-pervert-kun~! Help~! There's a perv here~! Hehehehehehe~!" I giggled and quivered from his touch as I had unconsciously let out an unladylike cry. To get away from him, I deliberately pressed my chest against his arm, causing him to immediately flinch and recoil back.
"O-OI! Don't do stuff like that! You're a girl!" He grimaces. With the small window of opportunity that I have, I stick out my tongue at him before skipping away. He grits his teeth and comes after me. Luckily, no one is in our surroundings right now, and we can fool and play around to our heart's content. His pace is slower since he's carrying our things. I keep on throwing teases his way to goad him even further.
He catches up to me since I had stopped, and just before he could get some payback, he looks around the place where I've led him to. "Oh, it's the playground..."
I take his hand and we resume walking. "My feet are starting to hurt. Let me rest first yeah?" He nods quietly and starts chuckling.
I point at the swings nearby, and he nods after putting our things on the vacant bench. It's nearly 10:00 pm so no one is around. If anything, it's a bit eerie here.
Hikki takes our hats and puts them in the bags, and then cleans my seat in the swing before I sit down. After making myself comfortable, I turn and give him a nod.
"Let's start slowly, okay Hikki?"
"Alright."
He starts pushing me forward as my feet leave the ground.
It feels like it's been years since I last played on a swing, it probably has. The night air is cool on my face, and being here with Hikki makes the experience even better.
This playground must be well-kept since we don't hear any squeaking sounds from any part of it. I walk past this place every morning but I only glance at it at most. Children from the neighbourhood play here during the weekends, accompanied by their parents, siblings or other friends.
"Yui, remember when we first jogged together with Sable? You know, when you baked me those cookies?" Hikki says after we've been silent for several minutes, just enjoying the moment.
"Oh, what about it?"
He looks up, reminiscing at the memory as I watch and wait for him to continue. "You always lagged behind me while Sable and I were ways ahead. Your cookies that time were acceptable, if it weren't then I wouldn't be here right now."
"Hikki, that was before... I'm WAAAAY better now!" I say, and he chuckles at my words.
"Yeah, I guess you are."
"And wait, you're making it sound like you would have died if my cookies came out wrong!"
"I did say that, yes. We both know that I'm not wrong. Also, it's a shame that we couldn't go to the Owl Café... We took too long... Maybe next time."
"Yeah!"
We continue like that for some time, just chatting until I decide to stop. We head back to the bench since Hikki says that he'll pass on using the swing for now. There isn't much to see here, and I rest my head on his shoulder after adjusting several times. Hikki smells nice, his scent and presence make me feel at ease.
"Thanks for today Hikki. I had fun." I say in an earnest tone.
He moves a bit, then I feel him softly pat my head. "Me too. It would've been a bit boring and awkward if I was there alone. So it's an amazing coincidence that you wanted to hang out today. Komachi was going out with her friends so she can't come."
I scooted myself closer to him. Even though it isn't really cold, the warmth that he exudes is an elating feeling that never fails to make warm and fuzzy inside.
"Hikki there's something I want to ask you."
"Alright."
I fidget a bit and face down since what I'm about to say next might make me feel flustered if I see his face.
"About today... You were acting...different. Why?"
I mean, aside from being such a tease, Hikki was affectionate and warm to me today... He's a bit like that when it's just the two of us, but his actions today felt different somehow. His smile, the way his eyes look at me, how he gently holds me, all of it. He was buying me lots of stuff too and would have bought more if I didn't tell him to stop. He was deliberately spoiling and making sure that everything was to my liking.
Hikki takes in my question calmly. He stops patting my head and rests his hand back on his lap. He isn't tense, nor did his heart rate increase since I can hear its faint sound on his arm.
"Because I wanted to." He said it so matter-of-factly as if the answer to the question that I just asked was so obvious.
I slowly sit up straight, our gazes were locked and unwavering. He blinks several times and tilts his head to the side. "Yui?"
"O-Oh I was just taken aback, that's all. Can you explain it more?"
He shrugs. "Well, if you say so. It's the first time that we hung out together so I wanted you to have fun. It's also my way of thanking you for everything that you've done for me Yui." He has a small smile on his face at the end.
"For what? I don't understand Hikki..."
I return a shy smile when his one widens. "For helping me be comfortable around the others. Before we were classmates, they were just acquaintances to me. And if you weren't there to smooth things out, I doubt I'd get close to them as I am right now. So..."
Hikki stops and blushes momentarily before continuing. "Y-You know how I am... I have trust issues, I'm socially awkward, I make terrible and cringy jokes. My eyes are scary, I look serious all the time and that's why people act too rigidly around me. Sometimes, I don't know how to express in words what I want to say, and it comes out wrong. And then misunderstandings happen. I'm inexperienced when it comes to that kind of stuff, you of all people know this. I have Shiromeguri-senpai who teaches me and points out all those things...but she isn't there for me always... Aside from her, you're the only one who points it out and tries correcting me. It's a bit expected since most people are reluctant to bring up that kind of stuff since they're afraid of me, but you're different."
His blush deepens, but he maintains eye contact with me. "Those little words of encouragement while you put a gentle hand on my arm does wonders. It might not sound much to you but it helped me out. It really did, and I want you to know that. I have to admit that there were some times when you were a little too pushy and annoying, but I realized that it was your way of looking out for me. And, I soon came to realize that I do need some help. So..."
Hikki proceeds to stand up and face me.
He bows low, something that I didn't expect him to do.
"Yuigahama Yui, I am truly grateful for all that you have done for me."
I...
I'm at a complete loss. I have no idea what to do nor say in the face of such sincere words. All I could do was stare at him with my mouth slightly agape.
It was only for several tense and silent seconds, but to me who received those words, it felt like an eternity as I contemplated what to say.
I stand up and put my hands on his shoulders. "H-Hikki! This is embarrassing! Please raise your head!" He does so and slowly straightens up. His cheeks are bright red, the thin line that were his lips quivered. Hikki looks into my eyes for a moment before looking down to avoid them. "..."
Seeing him look like this is contagious, and I tuck away some strands of hair behind my ear while sneaking him glances. "..."
Our eyes meet, and we quickly look away.
He absentmindedly touches his arm, and he does so until he built enough courage to speak again. "...Sorry... This was the best thing that I could come up with, I'm not good with stuff like this... A-Ahahaha..." He says and scratches his hair while laughing awkwardly.
I pout and give his arm a light slap. "Stupid Hikki! You sounded so formal and made me nervous! I-I thought you were going to ask for my hand in MARRIAGE or something! IDIOT!" I hit him several times as his eyes begin to widen. He puts a hand over his mouth and frowns at himself.
"A-Ah... Did I sound like that...? Wait, I did, didn't it..."
For someone as smart as him, there are times when his wording comes out having a completely different meaning to what he originally thought of...
"YES! D-DUMMY!" I exclaim in a slightly frustrated tone and stomp my foot. He gives me a slight apologetic bow and I continue glaring at him with a flustered expression and he shrinks from my gaze and avoids my eyes. I decide to take a deep breath to calm myself down.
I already feel faint and my heart is beating so fast from his words alone... Stupid Hikki, making me feel this way without meaning it! The way his 'speech' went, I was half-expecting him to confess at the end! If he stopped just to fill up the suspense, I would have passed out on the spot!
"J-JEEZ!" I huff out and slumped myself back on the bench, crossing my legs and facing away with a pout as I put my arms around my chest. Hikki follows soon after, sitting close and turning to me.
"Yui…"
"H-Hmph!"
"Yui, come on don't be like that..."
I feel him put a cautious hand on my shoulder, but I shrug him off. "Hmph!"
He sighs and scratches his head. "I guess I messed that up huh... W-Well, this is awkward..."
"And whose fault do you think that is..." I say after briefly narrowing my eyes at him and looking away.
A beeping sound startled both of us, and I felt the smartwatch that I had on my left wrist vibrate. We both glance down at it, and it said that my heart rate is going faster than normal. Hikki is quiet before looking up at me, our faces are really close. Close enough that I could almost...
"That's...a really interesting feature..." He says quietly, and I nod while a blush creeps up my face. We give each other some space. It's also a good thing that he didn't point it out bluntly. Stupid watch! Now he knows that my heart is racing!
Hikki clears his throat when he realizes that I won't continue the conversation. "I'm thankful for everything that you've done for me Yui. That's all that I honestly want to say. So..."
I wordlessly scoot closer to him and take his arm, not caring if he felt my chest in the slightest. He doesn't lean nor moves away from my touch, even as I pinch him. "Stupid Hikki... A simple 'Thank you' would have been enough..." I'm sure that he can feel my heartbeat, and I cling to him until I calm down. We stay like that until he looks up in thought and speaks shortly after.
"Just like that? Is it really that simple? I don't need to make grandiose, big and complicated words...?" He turns to me in honest confusion.
His expression softens when I give him a warm smile. "Yes, it's that easy Hikki."
"..."
"..."
Hikki huffs out, having a small smile on his face. His eyes look at me fondly and cause my heart to skip a beat.
"Thank you, Yui."
"You're welcome," I say with a warm smile, to which he returns one of his own. "Everything that you've said is really sweet, Hikki. Of course, I'd do all of that for you. You're my friend after all."
"Thank you. And I hope you don't mind looking out for this socially awkward idiot in the future." He grins, and I giggle at his words.
He really is an idiot, but a lovable one. He may act strongly on the outside, but I know that he needs help.
"I don't mind at all. You can keep having your faith in trust in me Hikki."
He raises his head as if suddenly remembering something. "Oh, which reminds me..." He shows me his left wrist, the one that held the smartwatch identical to my own. "If there are any lotteries in the future, I'm going to bring you with me."
I tilt my head to the side. "What do you mean Hikki?"
He puts his hand on my cheek, before playfully pulling on it and chuckling. I blush profusely, but still manage to hold his gaze without looking away. "Seeing how we won right off that bat, and I know that I'm not a very lucky person. I think you are the reason why we won." He says and grins.
"You're like a lucky charm."
I quickly hide my face on his shoulder. I don't know how to react to being compared to a 'lucky charm'. It sounds silly, but cute at the same time. Okay, it sounds cute.
He chuckles and pats my head. "Hehehehehe, that's a really cute reaction... Saying something so cheesy was worth it hehehehe..."
"S-Shut up Hikki... You're being such a bully today..." I mumble against his arm. He continues chuckling until I yelp and let go of him when he pokes my side. I sit up and give him a light slap.
"You're my airheaded lucky and sweet cinnamon bun, Yui. Hehehehehe~…" He says, and I feel him start to lightly ruffle my hair.
I pout and glare at him. "I-If you're going to give me nicknames, try and make it sound cute at least! It's like you're going to eat me out or something!"
"Ahahaha, okay okay, I'll think of a better one." He briefly glances at our watches. "But seriously, it's crazy how we won these. AND the trip too." He says in a tone of disbelief. "I mean, the chances are so low..."
I laugh, and smugly put my hands on my hips. "Fufufufufufu, that's because I was with you! You wouldn't have won it without me!" Hikki nods in agreement and motions to put things behind him.
"Don't forget these too."
"Oh right!" I exclaim. I was about to take out my wallet when Hikki shakes his head. "Don't worry about it Yui. Think of these as a token of my gratitude." I stay still for several seconds until I decide to let the matter go.
If he says it like that, then it'll be rude of me to refuse...
"Well... Okay then. Thank you." I say and give him a slight bow. I was about to say that it's time for us to go when I realize something that he said earlier.
"Hikki? Remember when you spoke to those foreign girls earlier?"
"Yeah, what about it?"
"Where were they from?" I ask. I haven't had the chance to look up my phone where 'Dutch' is used as a language since I was too busy having fun with him.
Hikki's mouth turns into an 'O' as he slowly nods, before having a difficult expression on his face. He looks to the side and puts a hand under his chin, tapping his finger while in thought. I wait for him to reply until he sighs and faces me once more.
"Before I answer that, let me tell you something Yui." I scoot myself closer to him and straighten up my back from the tone of his voice. "I'll be leaving Japan with my Father. I'll be staying in The Netherlands."
This is a...surprise. I didn't think that he'd start with this.
"O-Oh... Why did you have to say this now?" I tried to hide my obvious disappointment, but the news was too sudden. Hikki notices it immediately and his expression quickly changes into an apologetic one.
"I'm sorry..."
"H-Hikki... This is all so sudden. We talked about so many plans together...visiting the pool and beach, a sleepover, movie marathons, shrine visits and sightseeing…" I'm already looking down at this point. We spoke of a lot of possible stuff to do during the Summer Break, by ourselves or with the others. We even talked about it during our free time during the summer camp a few days ago.
I feel so...dejected.
"I know. I couldn't bring myself to just say that I'm going away to everyone else, so I decided to tell you..."
I stay quiet, still thinking about his words. So many missed opportunities... I wanted to spend some time with him throughout the Summer Break. Not just the two of us, but the others and Yukinon too... I wanted us to hang out like normal friends since I haven't had the chance to do so because of his busy schedule. He had politely declined my invitations before, as well as that of others for lots of reasons. Today is the first time that we have had each other, and I want more days like this in the future. I just wanted to spend some time with him like today, as well as get closer...
"I... I couldn't bring myself to ruin everyone's fun." His hand goes to the back of my head as he slowly guides me towards him. "Sorry, Yui. I really am. You have every right to get mad at me." I feel and hear the sound of his heartbeat on his chest as he slowly pats my back in an attempt to make me feel better.
I close my eyes and focus on my breathing for now, before quietly speaking once again. "So The Netherlands, huh... When will you be leaving...?"
"Two days."
Two days... He had to say it with the day so close...which makes it all the more disappointing. What was he thinking, dropping this on me like this...
I lean on him as he continued to console and attempt to lift my mood. His embrace is warm, and his arms made me feel protected. "How long will you be gone?"
"Three weeks, maybe four."
That's such a long time. I could have spent so much time with him if he didn't go. I know that I'm sounding selfish and that I'm acting too clingy, but...
"Does... Does anyone else know...?"
"I asked Shiromeguri-senpai for her advice, and I accidentally let it slip when I talked to Hina some time ago."
Him telling Shiromeguri-senpai first isn't really a surprise, given how he trusts and looks up to her. And it's pretty understandable for Hina to stay quiet since Hikki might get upset.
"Cheer up Yui." His tone suddenly changes, and I look up at him from his chest. "We won the trip, remember?"
I feel hope rise within me and I slowly separate myself from him. His hands went down to my waist as I had moved. "Oh, but you said..."
He makes a small grin and pulls on my cheek. "We'll be coming back here three days before the scheduled departure to Kyoto. So that means I still get to go with you there."
"Oh yeah!" I exclaim as my hands turn into fists. "I forgot about that! I thought you wouldn't be able to come because you didn't tell me the date and all!" Hikki starts chuckling after seeing my delighted face. "It's a shame that you can't come with us... Hayato won't come if you're not, same with Tobe… So it's just us girls then..."
Hikki snaps his fingers as if suddenly having an idea. "Oh, do you mind bringing along Komachi and Saki too?"
I nod and smile at his suggestion. It's good to see Hikki looking out for Kawasaki-san too. I want to get closer to her. She reminds me a lot of Hikki: She's quiet and fond of little kids, she has scary eyes and may come off as too strong or rude, but on the inside, she's a kind person.
"Yeah, you can count on me to add in Komachi-chan or Kawasaki-san in some of our plans!" I was about to continue, but I stop when I remember what happened the other day. It's something that I've been thinking about, and it's been bothering me for the past few days.
"Hikki, if you don't mind me asking... Who is Yukinon's older sister to you?" I say carefully.
After she picked him up, the ride back to Chiba was really quiet and awkward. Hina, Saika and Hiratsuka-sensei and I tried to lighten up the atmosphere with some conversation, but all of it soon died because Yukinon was still taken aback by all that happened. She's close to him, they're even calling each other by their first names. Not to mention that she's touchy and has a different air around her too.
He nods and starts. "Oh. Haruno? Oh, she's a friend and knows my parents. Sometimes she drops by at my Mother's place to tutor me. She's also an alumnus from Sobu and is Shiromeguri-senpai's Senpai." He slowly nods again when I stay quiet, sending him an unspoken question that I'd rather not say.
"Well, I asked a favour from her, and I owed her. That's why I had to go. We went to some places yesterday and the day before that. That's it. Oh and we're not a couple. She just loves teasing me like a little brother. It's kind of annoying sometimes, to be honest. But I guess that's what older sister figures do huh? Shiromeguri-senpai loves teasing me... As well as the other Senpai that I have in the StuCo..." He starts blabbering on and on, to the point where he's talking to himself out loud.
His obvious love and adoration for her are really cute. He's like an adoring fan, or a little boy looking up to his super cool older sister.
I watch him fondly for a little while, until I giggle, which causes him to snap out of it.
"A-Ahahaha… Sorry, Yui. I got carried away." He says, and I raise my hands to tell him that it's fine.
He glances down at my watch and turns to me. "It's getting late. Are your feet still sore? Do you want me to carry you?" He teases, and I giggle in response.
"Hehehehe~. I doubt that you could carry me to my home."
Hikki sports a thinking expression as he turns his attention to something on my lap. "Hmm, I really spoiled you with lots of food today, so you're right that I may not be able to carry- OW!" My hand goes up and twists his ear before he could finish what he was about to say. Despite it, he still goes on to get back at me, much to my embarrassment.
"Especially...HERE!" He exclaims loudly, and I yelp when his hand pokes my rib and twists the skin of my tummy, before pulling on it.
"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAH-!" I was so startled by his unexpected touch, that my hands moved by themselves and-
*SLAP!*
"..."
"..."
Uwaaahh, it's so awkward...! Hikki's walking so stiffly like a robot, and his hand feels so limp, cold and lifeless in mine! He hasn't said a word ever since we resumed walking back to my home... And aside from that, well...
The redness on his face makes it look like he's blushing. The thing is, it's only on his right side.
And it's caused by me.
"Hi-Hikki!" I say and lightly shake him as we walk, "I said I was sorry! It was an accident I swear! I don't hate you or anything! My hands moved by themselves!"
His eyes darken, and his face becomes sullen as he looks down and mumbles. I feel him about to let go of my hand, but I hold him tighter. "This is so shameful. What I did to you was unforgivable... I am going to perform harakiri later using the ceremonial sword of my family...Takemizukashi Hachishiki… I am going to Kermit suicide..."
I don't know if he's kidding, but I sure don't like the sound of him doing a HARAKIRI of ALL things!
AND WHAT THE HECK IS A KERMIT?!
"Shut it with the harakiri talk! I know that you're just overreacting! You didn't even touch anything that you shouldn't." Hikki makes a face as I yank him forward.
"Well, I'm surprised that you saw through my act. I'm practising for an actor since I was invited by the Drama Club for a play this winter." He says calmly and matter-of-factly. I turn to him, obviously surprised. I didn't know that he was invited. Just how many things does Hikki keep to himself?
"Wow? What's the play about?"
Hikki puts a hand under his chin in thought. "Hmm, it's about a girl who can't tell the difference between sarcasm and seriousness." He stares at me, waiting for my reaction. I blink once, then twice as we just blankly stared at each other.
"Hikki."
"Yes?"
I give him a blank expression that I copied from him with dead and empty eyes. "That was a terrible joke." He grins and pulls me closer to him. I immediately break character and giggle as I let go of his hand to take his entire arm instead. He doesn't mind the contact, and he even chuckles when I look up to him and our eyes meet. He chuckled even louder when I almost tripped and fell, but a strong and quick arm managed to prevent that from happening.
"You know Hikki," I playfully poke his cheek and give his hand a gentle squeeze. His warmth is a nice feeling, I haven't stayed so close to him like this before. "I like this side of you. You should be more open, instead of just showing this when you're alone with me or the others. Like, not just in a one-time thing I mean."
He slowly looks up, musing at my words for a few moments. "That's really hard. I mean, me suddenly getting chummy-chummy with everyone would be weird. They'd ask things like: 'Woah, what happened to Hikigaya-san?', 'Is he making fun of us?', 'I think he ate something bad this morning...', 'Are we in a prank video?' or maybe even 'Is he hitting on me? What's with his sudden personality change?'." He says, and I giggle at him.
"Yeah, I think I can see that happening..." I go quiet, and let go of his hand, and take his arm instead. From the corner of my eye, I see him purse his lips when he felt the side of my chest. I don't mind, and I lean my head on him.
"Hikki, you've changed since the first time I met you."
"I know, that's what Sensei said..." When a sudden cold breeze came by, I instinctively rubbed my cheek on his arm. "Yui… Tell me honestly, am I better right now, than back then?"
I slowly raise my head to see him looking down at me with searching, yet warm eyes. I give him a smile and nod. "Yes. Yes, you are."
"I see... That's good then."
We continue talking about lighthearted stuff until we arrived at the foot of my building. Like before, nobody's around. He gives me my stuff that he's been carrying the whole day for me as we face each other silently.
Well, time to say goodbye...
"Thanks for today Hikki. I really had fun with our date. I hope we can spend more time like this in the future. We should bring Yukinon next time!" I say with a warm smile, and he returns one to me as well.
"Yeah." He says and looks deeply into my eyes with a soft look before continuing, "Me too. Careful with that box though, remember that there's a Bonsai Tree in it. And the food, don't forget the food."
I just look at him, before I start to squirm and fidget. I bet my face is getting red too. Hikki just watches me with a curious expression and tilts his head to the side.
"?"
After mustering all of my courage and throwing my shame out of my thoughts, I stiffly spread both of my arms and look at him expectantly. I couldn't help but lightly bite my lower lip at my embarrassing position.
"Hng..." I give out a light whimper after several awkward seconds as he arches a brow at me.
Hikki's eyes widen slightly before he starts chuckling. "Oooohhh… This is unfair Yui. You know that I'm weak to stuff like this, 'Onii-chan instincts' and all that..."
I nod.
I feel my face start to get even warmer. Uwaaah… If this keeps up, steam is sure to go out of my ears! Worst case scenario is that I'll faint!
He takes a step forward, "With a cute face like that, I can't say no." And slowly puts his arms around my smaller form. I put mine around his waist, as the distance finally closes between us. He feels so warm, and he smells so nice too. The rhythm of his heartbeat has a calming effect on me. I've never hugged him like this before. I saw him hug Komachi-chan at the Summer Camp, and I would be lying if I say that I haven't thought about it a bit.
"Hikki..." I mumble against his chest.
"Hmm?"
"Do you mind doing me a favour?"
He gently pats the back of my head. "And what would that be?"
I clutch his shirt tighter and lean away from him, just enough for me to look into his eyes. We are still close enough, and I can see my reflection in them.
"Promise me that you'll have fun, alright?" I let go and caress the side of his face, and a blush starts to form on his pale cheeks. Hikki was surprised at my act but doesn't move away.
"Stop overthinking and stressing yourself out with thoughts that cause that. You should relax, I know that you need it badly. Clear your head when you're there, and then when you come back, sort it out so it won't bother you anymore... I know that it's hard, but I know that you can do it. I'm sure of it. Stay strong Hikki, you can always depend on me. The others and I are here for you. It's not a sign of weakness to ask for help..."
"Yui…"
I pat his sides and pinch his cheek, which causes a groan of annoyance from him. "And most of all, don't forget to have lots of fun!" I end with a smile.
He returns my smile, and I giggle and squirm when he pokes my sides. "That's the plan."
"Good..." Slowly, I start to separate myself from him. My hands were reluctant to leave him so soon, even he lingered at my waist a bit until letting go.
"Thanks again for the date, Hikki. I had lots of fun. And for walking me home too. Stay safe on your way." I say and give him a slight bow.
He nods and eyes the bags that I left on the ground behind me. "Careful with your things, remember that there's a Bonsai Tree there. I had lots of fun too Yui. I'm glad that you were with me."
I expected Hikki to say his goodbyes, but instead, he slowly starts scratching his head. The blush on his face hasn't gone away yet, instead, it starts to intensify.
"A-Ah, Yui, about today... Was I acting too much of a tease and flirt...?" He laughs awkwardly as he seems to have difficulty meeting my eyes. I've never seen Hikki look so uncomfortable while absentmindedly fidgeting with his hands.
"I wanted you to have fun and enjoy yourself on our date, so I decided to change some of my behavioural patterns, so to speak. I thought that if I went with you normally, you'd get bored to death of me... I read that girls like sweet and affectionate guys, so I did just that..."
"Hehehehehe, so that's why you were so different today..." I giggle and take a step, leaning my upper body towards him while my hands were behind my back. "Hikki today was different, that's true. You were really affectionate, always whispering me compliments and sweet-nothings, not to mention touchy at a tolerable level. But I don't mind seeing this side of you Hikki..." He lightly gives himself a facepalm, and even from the spaces between his fingers, the redness on his face is still quite visible.
"You were fine, I would have loved your company just the same. In a way, it was amusing being treated like that by you." I say, and he breathes out a sigh of relief upon my words. "To be honest, you did get out of line a bit... But it's okay! We both had fun, all's well end's well!"
"I see... I see..." He mumbles out, before straightening up and composing himself more formally. "Well, it's time for me to go. Give your parents my warm regards. And tell your Mother that I'm sorry for not going inside for some tea. Next time to be sure." He says and nods.
"Yup, I'll be sure to tell Mama. So... Goodbye Hikki."
The corners of his lips go up, forming a small smile. "
"Yeah. Goodnight, and Goodbye Yui." He says in a soft and kindly tone.
None of us moves for the next few seconds. We watch each other, waiting for the other to make a move. I clutch my skirt tightly, as I stand still as a statue.
In the end, I give him a small smile, and he gives one last nod before turning around and walking away. I continue watching him, he turns at the corner and gives me a wave. I return it, as I unconsciously follow him down the path. Hikki continues walking, looks at his watch, and then looks behind him where I gave him another wave.
He is right under the streetlamps, and I see his smile from afar as he slowed his pace. I wave my hands frantically and give him my best smile until he gives me one last bow and disappears from my view.
With that, I go back to where I left my things on the ground so I can finally go home.
"Mama, Papa I'm home!" I call out as I start changing my shoes. I hear their welcoming voices inside and greets me by running around in circles around my feet. Mama arrives next and looks at the things that I brought with me.
"Oh my, Yui… That's quite a lot..." She says and takes them, and peers into it. "Snacks, a fancy-looking box for a smartwatch, and an even fancier box for a Bonsai Tree...? Oh my goodness, it's glass too..." Mama whistles as she sets them aside and patiently waits for me to finish changing my footwear.
"Yeah! Hikki and I were at a convention! We won some stuff and hats too!"
"You did? Hikki-kun must be really lucky then, and you sound like you've had lots of fun."
Sable starts smelling my arm and then gets even more excited. He goes to the door and runs in circles again, sometimes going on his hind legs to bark at it. He must have known that I was with Hikki. It's amazing how he still remembers him...
When I stand up, she blushes and starts giggling at my face. "Hmm? What's wrong Mama?"
She touches my arm and smiles. "Yui, you've been smiling the whole time. Your cheeks are pretty pink too~! Hehehehehe~!"
I raise my hands to my face, and true to her words, I've been smiling without me realizing it. "Eh?! O-Oh! U-Umm...!" This is so embarrassing! Why didn't I realize this sooner? Was I smiling like this the whole time as I went up here? It's a good thing that no one was around since if they saw me, they might think that I've finally lost it!
"Yui dear, no need to be so nervous," Mama says, and her voice immediately brings me back to my senses as I start to calm down. "I just pointed it out. You look like you really enjoyed yourself a great deal. So? How was your first date with Hikki-kun?"
So many things happened, not just at the convention, but our conversations as we walked here. I could take Mama's hand and talk all about it until the sun comes up, but that's out of the question. I'm pretty sure that I won't stop talking, nor thinking about it for the next few days. I can already see myself writing lots of entries in my diary about the stuff I did and talked about today with Hikki.
"It was lots of fun. I'd love to go again with him!" I say with a wide smile, which causes Mama to giggle happily at my reply.
She takes my arm, giggling all the while as we slowly make our way towards the living room, with Sable still trying his best in going out the door. "In any case, Hikki sure is a shy type, isn't he? I've been wanting to meet him for some time now because you can't stop talking about him..."
I blush, and Mama winks at me before continuing. "He's got the looks, even with his eyes being too sharp from the photos that you've shown me during your Summer Camp..."
"Y-Yeah... I like that part about him ahahaha…" I mumble out since this conversation is getting more and more embarrassing by the second.
"I'd love to meet him, you know? Who knows, he might be my future son-in-law..." Mama lets go of my arm and then skips away after sending me a cheeky wink.
"MAMAAAAAAAA!"
Heeeeeeeeeeeyyyyyy….
Ahahahah….
Happy New Year... Five days late...
This was supposed to be just 5k chapters, but I got carried away and had too much fun writing this chapter. Good grief, what a lousy way to start the year.
Well, this chapter is dedicated to Yui and her fans. (I included of course) She needs some love too and word time(?) with Hachiman! So if you got fired up by this chapter, go write an Oregiaru fanfic right now! I don't care who's paired with Hachiman! We need to keep the community alive folks!
Anyway, you'll be seeing a lot more from Yui in the next few chapters. Also, I'm thinking of making Hachiman's vacation only a few flashbacks since it might get too long and slow down the progression of the story as a whole. As a portion of a chapter is his current perspective or flashback, and the other is on what the girls are doing while he's away. I mean, three weeks of vacation in a foreign country, most of the time you're at the hotel vibin or going solo and exploring the surrounding areas. Believe me, it's exhausting and I just stay put most of the time tbh. I'm thinking of adding another OC too, but I'm still thinking about it. Sumiya Yuuko is going to get a reappearance in Sagami's arc, just to let you lot know.
While Hachiman and HachiPapa are in The Netherlands, and everyone else in Japan doing their stuff, I'm going to go and update my Isekai fic!
As always, favourite, follow or write a review to let me know your thoughts!
Belated Happy New Year everyone! And thanks to those who greeted me during my birthday on the 5th of December last year too!