Author's note: So I think I more or less know how I want to handle the harem in this story. Above all, I want to keep it wholesome and genuine, just as a certain loner might say. This chapter's kind of short, and it's also the first one where Hikigaya doesn't appear directly at all, but it's pretty important, since this is where the dynamic between the waifus is established. As always, leave a comment and let me know what you all think. Let me know which of the waifus has been your favourite so far! I don't think it's a secret that Shizuka is my personal best girl, but I do try to write them all to the best of my ability.

On a different note, if you like action, martial arts, delinquent-manga inspired drama and just overall badassery, consider checking out my fic Great Teacher Hikigaya, formerly known as A Hedonist At Soubu High. If it isn't blindingly obvious, it was inspired by Great Teacher Onizuka (god tier manga btw). If you're into Devil May Cry or RWBY, consider checking out The New Teacher (Dante focus), or The Woman in the Tower, and the Demon Knight (Vergil focus). If you're above 18 (which you should be or you shouldn't be reading this story), and you like hentai, consider giving me a follow on Twitter, where I post my art all the time. I go by smilingsamurai1 . I haven't drawn Oregairu characters in years, but I might do so soon.

Chapter 7:

Shizuka yawned and stretched her arms overhead, working some of the stiffness out of her back. Not enough was written about some of the less desirable effects of big breasts. Like back pain, for instance. Having two large masses constantly weighing you down from the front meant that your spinal erectors, lats and traps had to work that much harder to keep you standing upright. Sighing, she stretched a few times before jumping up lightly, grabbing hold of the door mounted bar, and doing a few pull-ups. In Shizuka's case, a lot of this problem was mitigated simply by having a good level of fitness. Core exercises, deadlifts and pull-ups kept her core and back strong enough that she didn't suffer as much due to her natural gifts as some others did. Which was for the best, since she rather liked her babies. As she headed into the kitchen to make herself breakfast, she idly wondered if they'd grow even bigger if she got pregnant.

Realising what she'd just thought, she shook her head furiously, face red. She needed to calm down. Things hadn't gone that far yet. They'd only done it when she was safe, or when they had protection. Of course, thinking about the "it" only made the blush on her face grow even further. At the rate at which they were going, it might be only a matter of time before she couldn't hold back any longer. Hnng…. Wasn't he a virgin until two days ago? How is he improving this quickly? Is he actually some kind of dense light novel protagonist with hidden harem king traits? Actually, on second thought, she decided it might be best if she didn't answer that question. For all of her jabs about Hachiman being a creep, he was actually quite popular with women, and all without knowing about it. One just had to take a single look at the Service Club to know this. There was Yuigahama to begin with, who was an S-tier beauty any guy would have been overjoyed to be with. There was also Isshiki, the sly yet cute kouhai who hung around the Club, who seemed to have an endless amount of "work" for Hachiman at all times. As for his own class, there was the former delinquent, Kawasaki, whose advances were limited to watching him from a distance… for now. Oh, but it didn't end there.

Shizuka wasn't quite sure how this all worked, but given her vantage point as a teacher, she could see the entire class all at once, and she was far more observant than her students would like to believe. So, for instance, she knew that despite Miura's loud and proud assertions as to the superiority of the Hayama brand, she kept throwing glances at a certain dead-eyed loner throughout the day. Now wasn't that curious? Oh, and that wasn't to mention the known fujoshi, Ebina Hina. Aren't these BL enjoyers supposed to stick to their specific fantasies? Yet, Shizuka hadn't spotted Ebina checking out any other boys in class.

Ah, and of course, aside from all of them, there was also the matter of a certain Ice Queen, as Hachiman herself had named her. And that was a whole other can of worms in its own right, one that even Shizuka had absolutely no intention of touching even with a barge pole.

All in all, perhaps it was a good thing that Hachiman was so dense. Or rather, that he deliberately chose not to see some things. It was unfair and wrong of her to think this way, given that she was his teacher, but she had known from the moment they'd begun their relationship that whatever plans she may have had of being the ideal teacher were going out the window. If she was going to be with him, woman and man, then she would go all the way. And that meant not only accepting every advantage she got, fair or unfair, but being thankful for them. As these thoughts went through her head while brewing herself a cup of coffee, she couldn't help but think back to the previous evening.

Hachiman…

The former loner had arrived at her place, as agreed, but he had been far from his usual self. From the moment of his arrival, he had latched on to her, desperately, physically holding on to her, as though terrified of something. It had been the second time she had seen him so out of character, and both incidents had been in the last three days. Hachiman's firm creed had been being able to stand on his own, be able to take care of himself on his own, never allowing himself to rely on others, because doing so meant risking being abandoned and left behind again. And both incidents had been him going precisely opposite to that very creed. The first time, he had cried because he had thought she had been leading him on and had no interest in him. She was still kicking herself over causing that misconception. The second time had been just last night, when he'd clung to her. Was the way of life he'd built for so long falling apart? No, she didn't believe that. Hachiman told himself he was a loner, that he was proud of it. However, she knew quite well that no one became a loner because they wanted to. They simply ended up becoming one. Hachiman was no exception. For all his convoluted philosophies, he, like all other human beings, wanted to belong, wanted people he could believe in, and wanted people who believed in him. He had simply hidden that desire all this time, denied to himself that it existed. But after everything he had been through in his second year, maybe he'd finally run out of the strength to maintain that facade any longer.

Or maybe it's the other way around.

He'd finally become strong enough to admit it, to accept that he didn't want to be alone.

And as things had turned out, the one to end that solitude had been her. Fittingly enough, that was the same reason she'd put him in the Service Club to begin with, all that time ago. She found herself smiling. That hadn't worked out as planned. As a matter of fact, the direct approach had succeeded where it had failed. Were the true solutions always hidden in plain sight?

Yet, the smile disappeared from her face as she remembered the previous evening again.

His feelings…

Hiratsuka Shizuka's telepathy was imperfect. It only allowed her to sense the broadest emotions and the general shape of one's thoughts. Also, the clarity with which she could sense something depended on the strength of what she was trying to sense. For instance, she couldn't tell someone to think of a sentence, and then repeat that sentence back to them. That would involve being able to "read" the words from someone's mind, which she couldn't do. However, she could tell when someone was anxious, afraid, or angry. She could differentiate between those emotions. She could even sense the reason for those emotions. Also, interestingly, her abilities allowed her to accurately predict physical actions in the immediate future. She suspected it was because something like the "intention to throw a right punch" was so basic and thus so powerful, that it was easy to read. As thoughts and feelings became more and more complex, however, the clarity with which she could see and interpret them became lesser and lesser.

Accurately knowing which of her students had a crush on which other student? Easy. Understanding on the other hand why that student might choose to confess or not confess? Or being able to tell how that confession would be responded to, and why? Much harder. That was how it was, how it always had been. Ever since she had been a child, she had been able to sense when people were happy, and when they were in pain. Throughout her life, she had watched people go about their lives, feeling one way, acting another on the surface. Going about their day with smiles on their faces, though they were dying inside.

Perhaps that was why she had never learned to leave well enough alone. She had never been able to understand how human beings could act in a way that went against their own feelings. Unable to look away, and unable to see any further with her powers, she had chosen to try. To struggle, think, writhe and agonise, all in an attempt to understand, so that maybe she would be able to help them.

Curiously, the feeling humans called "love" wasn't distinguishable from lust or obsession, at least to her psychic powers. The realisation of that fact had nearly made her lose faith in humanity when she had been younger. But as she had grown older, she had seen plenty that proved just how limited her power was. What was sensed as "obsession" may be a working father who slaved himself to the bone to win a better life for his family. Her powers may not be able to tell the difference, but she could. Humans weren't so easy to read, nor were their feelings something that could be neatly packed into different boxes.

When Hachiman had come to her last night, she had been able to sense what was in him too. A deep longing, a powerful force drawing him to someone. This longing was what she sensed from the minds of people who were lusted after someone… and from people in love with someone. On the other hand, there had also been something else, a feeling she'd come to familiarise herself with because of all the times she had sensed it: regret. It was small, and in the back of Hachiman's mind, but still there. At the time, she hadn't given it much thought, but now, there was nothing to distract her from it. Just what was going on with him? She didn't know.

I should talk to him about this.

Communication was one of the things she kept telling her students, and especially the Service Club about. She would need to practice what she preached.

It was a Saturday, meaning school was off. Hachiman would probably be at home, lazing around. It was a good chance to give him a call and tell him to come over. She would find out what was troubling him, and then, they could deal with it together. With this in mind, she finished breakfast, showered and freshened up, and got dressed. Outside of school, she didn't need to be quite so formal. Thus, a simple pair of jeans and a close fitting black tank top did the job. Grabbing her phone, she was right about to dial his number, when another call arrived first.

Yuigahama?

She was slightly surprised at the name of the caller. It was unusual for her to contact Shizuka directly. Most communications related to the Service Club were handled by Yukinoshita. If Shizuka needed to say something, she usually did so in the Clubroom itself. However, the members did have her number, in case they needed it for whatever unforeseen reason.

She answered the call and brought the phone closer to her face.

"Yuigahama, it's a bit unusual for you to call. Did you need something?"

"... Sensei, we need to talk."

"Umm… okay? I'm listening."

"In person."

Shizuka frowned slightly. This was quite unusual. She didn't mind putting in some extra time outside of school hours for her students, but she did have other plans for the day.

"Can it wait till Monday?" she asked. "If it's not urgent, I have some plans already made."

"It's quite urgent," said Yuigahama, in a voice far calmer and more measured than usual. The contrast with her normal tone was so great, it was almost jarring. Moreover, Shizuka was getting some rather disturbing readings from her mind. Nothing she could clearly interpret, but she could make out enough of it to know that it wasn't good news.

"Fine," she replied. "The school office should be open. We can meet there-"

"Actually, it's better if we don't meet at school. I'll come over to your place instead."

By now, Shizuka knew that something was definitely very, very wrong. Yet, refusing the meeting wasn't a good idea. It was basically cutting off her chance to know what the problem was, keeping herself blind to it. No, she would need to find out what was happening, and in order to do that, she needed to talk to Yuigahama.

"All right," she answered cautiously. "Then come over today. I'll text you the address."

"No need. I'll be there in twenty minutes."

Without waiting for an answer, she ended the call. Shizuka put her phone away.

No need? She already knows where I live?

With every detail being revealed, the teacher felt more and more wary of what was coming. It was clear that this couldn't be avoided, however. She would have to deal with this first before moving on to other, more important matters. As such, she decided to keep calm. There was no point disturbing her own mental equilibrium. Turning on the PC, she loaded up Strive, picked Nagoriyuki, and decided to hit up training mode and do random combos that felt cool. Time passed by quickly, and soon enough, her doorbell rang. Ending the game, she got up and made her way over to receive the self-invited guest.

Sure enough, opening the door, she found the third member of the Service Club's original line-up in front of her.

Well, might as well get this over with.

"Come in," she said, moving to one side to let her enter.

Yuigahama entered, omitting the usual greeting.

Straight to business, then, huh?

Closing the door behind her, Shizuka walked into the living room.

"I'd offer you some refreshments, but it's clear something's bothering you and you want to get right to it," she said. "So tell me: what's wrong?"

Yuigahama's eyes locked onto her own. Her gaze was unusually sharp and steady. It was very different from the lighthearted, friendly look she was used to seeing from her student. She knew that every human being's cheerfulness had a limit, a point beyond which they would become deadly serious. Had that point already been reached for her? She didn't need to wait long for the answer to that. As it turned out, Yuigahama got straight to the point.

"I know about you and Hikki," she said.

Shizuka's immediate reaction would have been to jerk backwards with surprise, but through a combination of knowing that something bad was coming, and her formidable self-control, she was able to remain calm. There wasn't so much as a slight change in her facial expression, which remained blank and impassive. She thought quickly.

Just how much does she know?

She wasn't sure how Yuigahama had found out. They had both been careful, but even so, it was possible that she had seen them together that one time in the classroom. Alternatively, she might have followed Hachiman at some point. If the latter was the case, then she wouldn't have seen enough to definitively conclude anything. That in turn would make it possible to convince her that Hachiman had simply come to her house for strictly teacher-student business, nothing more.

But if she had followed him last night, then she would have seen the two of them hugging at the entrance, and that was harder to explain away.

If she attempted to lie and failed, it would mean losing psychological ground in this battle. That would have been something Hachiman thought. But Hiratsuka Shizuka was not Hikigaya Hachiman. When push came to shove, she was more than willing to stand her ground.

"And?" she replied, face still impassive.

More than likely, Yuigahama had already seen enough to be convinced that something was going on between Shizuka and Hachiman. And if that was the case, she wouldn't pretend otherwise.

As for Yuigahama, having come this far, she wasn't quite sure what kind of reaction to expect. On the one hand, she knew Hiratsuka sensei better than most teachers, thanks to their involvement due to the Service Club. But even with that, she knew almost nothing about the older woman. Would she have gotten flustered upon finding out that her forbidden relationship with her student had been discovered? Would she have attempted to convince Yuigahama that she was mistaken? Or maybe convince her to not reveal their secret to anyone?

To be sure, the one thing she hadn't been prepared for was Shizuka not even attempting to hide anything, and instead looking at her, not so much with brazen defiance, as with cold indifference. The contrast between the look on her face and the kind homeroom teacher and counsellor she was familiar with couldn't have been greater.

"Y-you're not even going to try to deny it?" she said.

Shizuka shrugged.

"Not really. On a personal level, I haven't done anything I'm ashamed of."

Yuigahama almost took a step back. This was not going according to plan. But she was far from done.

"You say that," she replied. "Yet, the two of you have to run around and hide because you don't want anyone to see what you're doing."

Shizuka's face shifted for a brief instant, but immediately went back to being unreadable. The change didn't go unnoticed by Yuigahama, though. She had found a chink in the armour.

"We're simply practical. There are many things society can't understand or approve of," the older woman said. "That doesn't make them wrong. I would have thought you would have learned that much after spending this much time with Hachiman, but I guess I was wrong."

This time, Yuigahama did take an involuntary step backwards. She may have found a chink in the armour, but she had not been prepared for the retaliatory strike that followed. But she wasn't quite done yet. If it had come to this, she had one more hand to play.

"So you're saying there's nothing wrong with what you're doing?"

"Why would there be? I'm happy with him, and he's happy with me."

"Is that really the truth?"

This time. Shizuka's stoic expression did break. She frowned, clenching her teeth. In a different world, Yuigahama's words would not have meant anything to her at all. However, she had a gift and a curse. She could see into Hachiman's mind, into his heart. She had sensed the longing there… and also the regret. She hadn't been sure of the reason for the latter. But now, Yuigahama's words gave her pause.

As for Yuigahama, she sensed that the tide had shifted in her favour, and decided to go on the offensive.

"Is it really the truth that he's happy with you?" she went on. "Maybe that's what you believe. Maybe it's even what he believes right now. And maybe it's true. But it's temporary. How long will you two continue to run and hide? When he graduates, will you leave Soubu High? Or will you reveal that the two of you were always together? And if you do that, have you thought about what it will mean for him? And let's say for a moment that it all somehow works out. You're young now, but eventually you'll get older. And eventually, the difference in age will start to matter. And when that happens, will you still be happy with each other?"

Shizuka nearly recoiled.

None of what Yuigahama had said was anything she hadn't thought about herself. She had chosen to be with Hachiman even knowing all of those risks. It wasn't hearing them again that shook her. It was the knowledge of what she had sensed from Hachiman.

Could it possibly be that he regretted being with her?

Her mind raced. Yuigahama had had feelings for Hachiman for a long time now, more than two years. Hachiman deliberately blinded himself to a lot of things, because it was easier to expect nothing and never be disappointed. But even he wouldn't have been able to ignore her feelings forever. At some or the other time, she would have made them known to him. Perhaps she had held back from doing so in the past out of consideration for Yukinoshita, her best friend. But Yukinoshita had turned Hachiman down, meaning Yuigahama no longer had any reason to hold back on account of her.

Was it possible that she had approached him then? Sometime recently?

A horrible, sinking feeling took hold of her as a possibility presented itself in her mind.

Maybe the longing he had sensed in Hachiman's mind was actually towards Yuigahama. She was younger, after all, the same age as him. Maybe that mattered more to him than she had thought. Maybe he felt strange being with a woman so much older than him. In that case… was the regret she had sensed directed at her?

No.

She shook her head.

That can't be.

Hachiman would never lead her on like that. Nor would he ever settle for something he didn't believe was real. She believed that. She had to.

Yet, she didn't know. She could see into his mind and heart. Just enough to fill herself with doubts, but not far enough to understand what she was seeing.

She needed to know. More than anything, she needed to know if his feelings were for her, and if so, whether they were genuine.

But asking him directly wouldn't yield a proper answer. Hachiman was, ironically, kind. Out of his own sense of right and wrong, he would give her the answer she wanted to hear, because they were together. But we've crossed the point of right and wrong already. Shizuka did not want to hear false assurances. Above all, she needed to know the truth.

I've already risked everything for this. If I'm betting it all anyway, why not go all the way?

I'll put my faith in my own feelings… and in you, Hachiman.

Opening her eyes, she looked at Yuigahama.

"You're feeling awfully confident, this morning, aren't you? How about this, then? Let's find out what his true feelings are. Words can lie. But actions always speak the truth. I won't stop you: play your game. Use every dirty trick you like. And I'll do the same. We'll find out properly who he's given his heart to."

Yuigahama staggered backwards several steps, not able to believe what she'd just heard.

Did… did she just give Hikki and me a free pass?

It should have felt good. It was, in a way, what she wanted, right? To be able to get closer to him, free of guilt.

But now that she had received it, she knew it hadn't been given as a gift, out of any kind of generosity.

Shizuka had properly recognized her as a rival, which meant right now, Yuigahama wasn't standing in front of her teacher. She was standing in front of a woman, who had absolutely no intention of losing her man. Not only that, she had enough faith in what she had that she was taking her challenge head-on.

Shizuka hadn't given her a free pass.

She had given her absolute contempt.

Yuigahama met her gaze, though it took every last bit of her willpower to do so. She had come here intending to use the threat of revealing her secret. That, and make her doubt whether her relationship with Hachiman would work out. It was low, and it was unfair. But she didn't care. She would use whatever methods she had to. However, having come here, she had realised that such methods would never work on Shizuka. Even if it was at the risk of having her secret revealed, she wouldn't give up on Hachiman.

In order to face someone like that, cheap tricks wouldn't do.

The only way she would be able to win was to make Hachiman choose her.

"I won't lose to you," she said aloud.

"Do your worst," replied Shizuka.

And just like that, the threads tying them all together got even more entangled.