Haha! Almost 3 months of disappearance. Sorry about that! Something things happened and I wasn't able to work on this at all. But everything should be in order now so I should be able to keep on working on this.
Just so you know, if there is ever a big lull on posts, just know I have not dropped this story! I will keep working on it.
Thank you and hope you enjoy it!
Chapter 9
"Do you want some tea or coffee?"
"I'll take a Max if you got it."
"Hmm… I might have to take one from tou-san's office… I'll be back in a sec."
I was sitting on the ground of Yuigahama's room, leaning against her bed frame. After everything that just happened, I felt a pang of guilt in my heart. While nothing was discussed, something did happen, but the next thing I do is go to another girl's house late at night.
Yuigahama texted me about wanting to make some sort of dessert for Iroha, whose birthday was on Monday. It was already late into the night, but Yuigaham was insistent that I come help. Considering Yukino's injury, I was the only other option.
While she was gone, I couldn't help but take a look around. Though it isn't the first time I've been in her room, I couldn't help but feel a little jittery. Though, at the same time, the moment I laid Yukinoshita in her bed replayed in my mind. It was the first time I had entered Yukinoshita's room. The sight of all the Pan-san products stunned me for a second, but it brought to mind how much of a normal girl Yukino is. Her cold attitude, formal speech, and strict conduct are the exterior she lets people see. I believe only her family and Yuigahama know her true self. I guess I'm one of those people now too…
I closed my eyes and remembered everything that transpired just an hour ago. Her gentle voice as she looked into my eyes.
Her… soft… lips…
Her rhythmic breathing and the peaceful smile on her face as I placed her in her bed.
Her smile… Smile… on… her… lips…
I couldn't help but physically roll around on the ground in embarrassment. How in the world am I supposed to act around her now?! As if things weren't weird enough!
"No! I-I-I don't need it! Go to sleep!" Yui suddenly burst into the room and then shut the door hard. "Hmmm… Hikki… What are you doing…"
Damn! How could I forget I wasn't at home?!
"Oh, uh… I felt something under the rug and was trying to find it, but I lost it. So I thought it would be more effective in covering more areas if I rolled around. Anyways, was that your tou…"
"No." Her face was uncharacteristically cold, almost as cold as Yukinoshita usually is. I guess that's her 'Yaha-no' mood… Wonder what her dad said?
"Anyways, have you taken a look at the magazines yet?" As if her earlier attitude was only my imagination, she was back to her usual 'Yahallo' attitude.
A Few Minutes Earlier
Yui POV
I hope my room doesn't smell weird… Or maybe it smells too good and he'll think I'm trying to cover something up?!
"Honey, did you leave your boyfriend all by himself? What kind of people will he think we are if you just abandon him like that? You don't even let him speak with his future father in law and now you leave him alone in your room…"
He tried to greet Hachiman when he first arrived, and normally that would be ok, but the first thing that came out of his mouth was 'So you're the boyfriend my wife keeps talking about! HAHA! Welcome home, son! Why don't…' Before the conversation could continue any further than that, I pushed Hikki into my room without letting him greet my dad. It might be rude, but if I had let that conversation continue I would have had to run away. Dad wasn't even supposed to be here tonight. He usually works late. Mom was going to be here, but she said she might get back late, so it would only be me and Hikki for a few hours. She must not have known dad was going to be here either, otherwise, she would have told me.
"Stop! Stop! Stop! First of all, you're not supposed to be here! Second I didn't abandon him, I'm getting some coffee for him. Third, I didn't let him talk to you because I knew you were going to say weird things! Like you are now! And Fourth, he's not… my… boyfriend…" I stuck out each finder as I counted my reasons. As I got to the last point, I couldn't help but trail off due to my embarrassment and also because I was worried Hikki might hear me from my room. "Haah… Do you have some Max coffee in your office?"
Before I even got a response, I started to walk towards his office because I already knew the answer. On late nights, dad will work through the night on Max coffee. "Yea, in the mini-fridge. Ah! Wait! Wait! Let me get it for you. I have something else too!"
As I was walking towards my dad's office, he stopped me in a hurry. What could he have?
I started running through some possibilities in my head, but none seemed right. After a while, he came out with 2 cans of Max coffee and a small white box. There was no writing on the box so I didn't know what it was. I was about to open it but dad stopped me.
"No! No… that's for… uh… your friend. It's a… greeting gift. Tell him it's advice from an old man, haha!"
"Old? You're like 30? What is it?"
"Oh! Here take this, too. It's a good way to get closer, socially and physically!" A photo album with all of the most embarrassing pictures from my childhood to recent years was in his hands. There was absolutely no way I could ever let Hikki see that.
"No." I couldn't take it anymore. He was starting to take it too far. He should know that there would be no way I would ever agree to that. Before he could say another word, I quickly made my way towards my room. Behind me, I could hear my dad following me while also trying to convince me to take the photo album. I soon made it to my room.
"Wait! Yui! This is the best way to get closer! Trust your tou-san every once in a while!"
"No! I-I-I don't need it! Go to sleep!" I slammed the door behind me. It is kind of embarrassing that Hikki has to see and hear all that, but it's better than him seeing that photo book… at least now isn't the time for him to see it…
"Hmmm… Hikki… What are you doing…" The first thing I see when I turn around is Hikki rolling around on the floor, knees up to his chest and hands over his face. More than surprised though, I was stunned at seeing this side of him. I could see a slight redness on his face, but I got the feeling that it wasn't from being caught doing something embarrassing. For some reason, when I saw the look on his face, I felt my chest tighten and my heart race, as if I was anxious about something. I have no idea why he was acting like that, but it made me worried… as if he was hiding something.
As if to confirm my feelings, he gave a made-up excuse and changed the subject to my father.
"No." There was a coldness to my voice, half because he mentioned my father, but the other half was at my frustration at this ugly insecurity in my heart. Remembering, my dad giving me something, I looked at the small box in my hands.
"Here. Tou-san asked me to give this to you. I don't know what it is, but he told me to tell you that it's 'advice from an old man.' You can just throw it away if you want. It's probably nothing useful. I saw him open the top part of the box and look inside. He pulled out a piece of paper, stared at it for a bit, and then looked into the box. I could see his face scrunch up in surprise as he did, but it quickly returned to his usual expression.
I didn't want to think about what my dad gave Hikki, so I also quickly changed the subject to the pastry magazines on the coffee table.
"Not yet, though at first glance, this stuff looks kind of advanced, don't you think. Are you sure we can pull this off?
"I've been practicing a lot with kaa-san lately, so it should be alright."
"The one thing missing from that sentence is confidence… Well, we better get started then…"
We each got our own magazines, but as we looked through them, we ran into the same problem as the last time, when we made something for Komachi, everything was too complicated. What was worse was that my mom wouldn't be here to help. In the end, we decided on a simple strawberry shortcake.
We moved into the kitchen and gathered the ingredients we would use. It was already late in the night, so we were as quiet as possible. Slowly we pulled out mixing bowls, pans, and utensils. As for ingredients, we got the sugar, fresh cream, cake flour, eggs, honey, corn syrup, vanilla, eggs, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, chocolate, different kinds of fruit jams, other baking ingredients I've seen mom use…
What else would be good….
"Yuigahama… I think… I heard your phone go off…"
My phone… I quickly checked my pockets but didn't feel it in there. I usually always have it on me.
I must have left it in my room. Hikki has some good hearing. What if he heard my argument with my dad?!
I ran off to my room to find my phone, wondering if Hikki could have heard my earlier conversation.
Hachiman POV
What the hell is that old man thinking?! 'Advice' Pan-san's ass! If my dad did this with Komachi, I'd have to kill the man.
As I opened the box, I saw a few colored, plastic squares. Confused, I looked deeper and saw a small piece of paper. I pulled it out and read it.
'Don't let the moment get to you. I can't control what youngsters like you do in your free time, but I can at least do this much. Use a square and be prepared! Welcome to the family, son!'
It wasn't hard to imagine what was inside the box from that little bit. I was stunned and lost my usual stoic face, but quickly recovered, fearing Yuigahama might ask what it was in the box. I quickly threw the box into the inside pocket of my jacket and tried not to make it seem like I was hiding something. Luckily, Yuigahama started asking about the magazines on the table instead.
After a bit of searching, we decided on a strawberry shortcake and moved into the kitchen. I started with getting out basic things we would need to make a cake, but before I knew it, the kitchen counter was full of everything we would need and wouldn't need. Yuigahama had essentially taken everything out that could be used on a cake and things you couldn't
I think this is why she is terrible in the kitchen. Anything that looks interesting or catches her attention she pulls out. She'll most likely try to put all of this on the cake…
"Yuigahama… I think… I heard your phone go off…" I had to think of some kind of excuse to get her out of the kitchen. While she was gone I was going to put as much stuff as I could away.
After searching her person, she ran off to her room in a bit of a hurry. I quickly threw fruits and jams into the fridge and unnecessary baking ingredients into the cupboards.
"Hmm… where did everything…"
"Oh hey, what's the first step in this recipe?" Before she could question it, I asked her how to start the cake, and luckily, Yuigahama takes the bait and she starts to look up the recipe on her phone.
After muttering to herself for a bit, st looks up at me with a confused look on her face.
"What's the difference between a tablespoon and a teaspoon? Aren't they both just spoons?"
It's gonna be a long night…
2 AM
I think this one will have to do… It was the one with the lightest color… and the one that looks most like the picture.
We made two cakes at the same time. Knowing our own skill level we decided to take the safe route and made two to choose the better-looking one. I saw Yuigaham start to doze off, so I had told her to rest on the couch while I finished the decorations. I put on the last strawberry and felt content with the work we've been able to complete. Yuigahama didn't make it to the couch and was laying her head on the kitchen table. As soon as I started to decorate the cake, she slowly nodded off until she fell asleep. After washing my hands, I gently wrapped my jacket over her back, careful not to wake her up. I then went to sit on the couch.
Soon enough, I heard the rattling coming from the front door. Slowly the door opened and shut, followed by the clicking of the door locks. I could guess as to the identity of the person, but I still got up to go and greet them.
"Hello, and sorry for the intrusion." Yuigahama's mom already knew I was going to be here, but still greeted her politely.
"Oh my, it's good to see you again, Hikki-kun. Forgive me for getting back so late. Is Yui already asleep?"
"Yeah, she fell asleep at the table not too long ago."
"I see. I hope she wasn't too much trouble for you. I know she can be a hand full in the kitchen."
"Haha… Not at all. I only had to prevent a few… strange… ingredients from making their way into the pot. Nothing I haven't dealt with before. Would you like to see the finished product?"
"Let's take a look." After taking off her shoes, we went over to the kitchen. "Hmmm… Oh my… wasn't expecting such a mess. Oh! But the cake looks wonderful! Are you sure Yui is the one who helped you make this?"
"Thank you. Sorry, for the mess. It was a struggle keeping Yuigahama from adding something strange to the mix. I ended up scattering things all over the place."
The cake, while not professionally made, looked amazing. I was able to spread the frosting as evenly as possible by using a flat shaping tool. The edges of the cake were lined with frosting. We were even able to add a filling to the middle of the cake. We made 4 cakes and stacked two. In the middle, we made a mousse and added slices of strawberries. On the top, I added strawberries, which were cut in half with the leaves left on, in a circle.
While not perfect, I believe Ishikki isn't rotten enough to not be able to see our hard work and Yuigahama's sincerity.
"Oh my… Hikki-kun, there might be a problem with the cake."
"Huh… what do you mean?" I turned around to see that the mess we made all around the counter was gone. The used utensils were in the sink and she was already cleaning the excess frosting and half-eaten strawberries (eaten by Yuigahama).
I walked over to her and saw that she was tasting something. In front of her were the bowls we used to mix the cake batter and mousse. She was also pointing to an open container labeled 'S'. She pushed the bowls to me and I tasted them. They were both excessively salty.
There's no way this cliche just happened… I turned to look at the finished cake. While not a professional art piece, it was a beautiful cake for two amateurs to pull off.
"Why don't you try cutting a piece of the cake to taste?" She held a knife up to me and gave me a reassuring smile. I hesitated but took the knife anyway. I cut a piece, put it on a plate, and prepared myself for the inevitable. Just like the batter and mousse bowls, it was salty. The only sweet part of the cake was the strawberries and frosting. I looked over at the clock and saw that it was just past 2 AM.
I looked over to Yuigahama's mom in embarrassment and in the hope of asking her for her help in making another cake. Though before I could ask, she was already rolling up her sleeves and tying her apron. "There's no need to ask. If we hurry you might just be able to sleep a few hours before school. Let's start with…"
Immediately, she started to give me orders to follow. Seeing her willingness to help even though it was late in the night made me get over my selfish exhaustion.
"Oh! Hikki-kun, can you do me a big favor. If Yui sleeps hunched over like that she's going to be sore in the morning. Can you please help her to her room so she can get some proper rest?"
"Sure…" I was hesitant at first, after all, just a couple of hours ago I carried Yukinoshita to her room after… that happened, but after seeing Yuigahama slouched over the table, I decided it was for the best. I wouldn't want her to develop a bad posture like me. After all, most of my days are spent hunched over my school desk or my room one.
I wanted to try to shake her awake to see if I could get her to lean on me, but the more I tried, the deeper she seemed to fall asleep. After a bit longer, I gave up trying to wake her up. I decided to glance over to Yuigahama's mom to see if she would catch it. It would have been too embarrassing to carry her in a bridal carry like I did Yukinoshita earlier. Unfortunately, Yuigahama's mom was too busy washing the used bowls and utensils.
Left with little choice, I lightly pulled her chair back and got ready to carry her. My hope was actually for her to wake up as I moved the chair and only help her to her room, but even as I moved the chair, she was fast asleep. I noticed that the shirt she was wearing was drooping a little too loosely in the front. In other words, her shirt was showing a little more skin than usual. With a sigh, I grabbed my jacket and placed it over her front. Seeing that she wasn't going to wake up, I got in the right position and lifted her in a bridal carry, her head resting in the crook of my arm. As if recognizing she was being lifted, she gripped onto my shirt tightly. Her breathing was still calm and steady though.
Heavy! Am I really this weak?! Picking her up in the same way as I did Yukinoshita, made me compare the two unintentionally. While Yukinoshita was light, Yuigahama was comparatively heavier. It could also be their different body types. Yukinoshita was petite, while Yuigahama was more… adult-like.
Slowly, I made my way to her room, careful around corners and her door frame. I eventually made it to her bed. It was a little low for me to be able to gently law her down, so I had to slowly get down to one knee. My lack of physical strength likely contributed to it as well. If I tried to lay her down standing up, I was likely to fall over her. Setting her down I couldn't help but remember Yukinoshita's sleeping figure in my mind. Somehow, I put both of these girls to bed within a few hours of each other, though the events surrounding each girl were vastly different.
While mulling these thoughts in my head, I grabbed a blanket at the foot of her bed and covered her. I walked to the door and slowly closed it behind me.
I walked back to the kitchen and found Yuigahama's mom organizing the ingredients we were going to use. Luckily we still had enough of everything to make one more cake. After getting through the awkward questions Yuigahama's mom would ask me about how my relationship with Yuigahama was going, we were able to complete a replica of the earlier failed cake in only an hour and a half.
Seeing how late it was, Yuigahama's mom brought out a pillow and blanket for me to sleep on the couch with. I was too tired to even try to refuse, so I accepted and reluctantly set an alarm for 5 AM.
Sonounomori Park
5:45 AM
I had little to no motivation to go for a run today. The hour and a half that I was able to sleep only felt like a few minutes to my tired body. After leaving a note about my leaving, I left the Yuigahama household for the familiar park I started going to every morning. Since I didn't have my exercise clothes though, I couldn't run even if I wanted to. Not wanting to go home, though, I opted for a walk through the park. Besides, I didn't want to break the habit.
Walking down my familiar route, I wondered if I would see a certain blonde-haired girl. We aren't really close, but over the last week, I had gotten used to running with her in the morning. Though we didn't talk or interact much in the past, it only took a week for me to get used to, and even miss, her prickly attitude in the morning. Could this be the rumored 'adaptability' humans are famous for?
"What do you think you're doing dressed like that? Do you want me to call the police?"
Ah… there it is…
I only slightly turned my head backward to confirm it was Miura but kept walking. A few seconds later she slowed down to a walk next to me.
"Yo. I stayed at a… friend's… house last night. It wasn't planned so I didn't have a change of clothes. And can you please not threaten me with legal action every time you see me. It's not good for my heart."
"Yeah, sure, whatever. Anyways… friends? I thought your only friends were Yui and Yukinoshita? You didn't… do anything illegal, right…?" She stopped dead in her tracks and made a motion for her pocket which likely held her phone.
"Wha-! What kinda person do you think I am?! I know my face is scary to most but that doesn't make me some kind of criminal! Haa… Didn't we have the same conversation last week…"
"And like last week, you're too serious…" She grew quiet all of a sudden and lightly laughed to herself. I looked back at her and she had a soft smile and a faraway look in her eyes.
"W-what's up now…?" Her usual stoic expression was gone. The emotion on her face threw me off.
"Sorry… I… was just remembering something… from the past…"
"R-right… what was it about…?
"Hmmm… none of your business!" With a playful smile on her face, she walked off with carefree steps.
Looking at her back, I was just now realizing how carefree she looks right now. At school, her flat, almost frowning face, scares most people away. The day we went to the mall to buy me new running clothes, the best she showed was a smirk at some of the things I said or did. Now, just a week later, I've been able to see a completely different side to her, one probably only Ebina and Yuigahama only now.
So, does that make us… friends…
Nah… let's shut that thought down before I dilute myself too far.
"Oi! Wait for me!"
Sobu High School
Empty Classroom
8 AM
Taishi POV
Why am I even here? I feel like a random extra a producer puts in an anime to make the scene look full.
I was currently boiling some water and prepping to serve some tea to the other people in the room. Other than me there were three other people in the room. Three girls!
Under normal circumstances, this would be an unimaginable opportunity for a guy. I was even invited to this meeting by one of the girls here. Unfortunately, it seems I was only invited to be their servant.
"Taishi-kun! Is the tea ready? Oh! Did you bring the snacks I asked for?"
"Sorry! It's almost ready. About the snacks… You only messaged me early this morning about the snacks, so I didn't have enough time to go get some. Luckily, my sister made a lot of cookies last night. I brought those instead.
"Oh! Saki-senpai made them. That's even better! Thank you Saki-senpai, where ever you are!"
What about me?! I'm the one that brought them!
I had to hold back the tears that threatened to come out.
"Hey, hey! Ena-chan, tells us what you saw a few days ago! I want to hear the whole story!"
"Hehe~… It's no good if I just tell you. You had to see and hear it to believe it. I could hardly believe it myself and I was right there. If everything that Chi-chan told us about her brother was true, you would never believe me."
"What about you, Mi-chan? Didn't you say your sister was acting kind of strange lately too? What's going on there?"
"Hmmm… I'm not entirely sure yet. On the second day of school, she was overly happy for… certain reasons… Then the rest of the week she started to leave home really early in the morning to go on runs. It's weird because she would only go on runs a few times a month. I wanted to follow her a few times, but it was too early. I prefer my sleep."
"Both of you are lucky to have such interesting siblings. All my brother does is look at himself in the mirror making weird poses. Though ever since that incident at the zoo, he's been muttering to himself a lot more often. 'A kid! There's no way! But she said papa!' or something like that. It's starting to get annoying."
To a stranger, this conversation would make zero sense at all. Though to me, even though I'm missing important bits of information, based on the conversation I can make an educated guess on the people they are talking about.
These three girls meet last week, but it wasn't until this morning that they truly hit it off. The reason for that was because of one person Hikigaya Hachiman, the person I call onii-chan!. After onii-chan and Komachi separated this morning, Kotomi and Ena rushed her. The three had planned to meet up this morning. They asked if that was her brother, and as soon as they heard her response, the gossip started.
Komachi asked me for a favor this morning so that's why I was also there. After seeing me, we introduced ourselves and were then told to follow them by Komachi, so I did. Somewhere along the way, they started to call themselves by nicknames. They also started to call me by my given name, though everything was going by too fast for me to even feel embarrassed about it.
The girl called 'Chi-chan' is Hikigaya Komachi, Hikigaya Hachiman's, younger sister.
The second girl, 'Ena-chan' is Tobe Ena. Her older brother, Tobe Kaketu, is in the soccer club.
The third girl, called 'Mi-chan', is Miura Kotomi. Her older sister, Miura Yumiko, is a bit of a mystery. I haven't heard how she is connected to onii-chan, but the other two seem to know. Doesn't look like they'll be telling me though.
"Mmmm… Not bad, Tashi-kun. While not as good as Yukino-senpai, this tea isn't bad at all."
really
"Yea, a little more practice and it will be perfect!"
"Oh wow! These cookies are amazing. Do you think you can bring some more next time?"
O-oh… u-uhh… s-sure! I-I can ask my onee-chan t-to make some for me t-to bring. Haha…"
"Yay!" "You're the best" "I can't wait!"
Seeing all their hopeful gazes land on me, I couldn't help but give them a positive response. All three girls were really cute, but when all three were staring at me, I really felt the pressure.
While in middle school, I focused most of my time on studying and the little extra I had with friends. I didn't interact much with girls. Komachi was the only girl I ever talked to. So having three cute girls suddenly look at me like that, I couldn't help but give in to their request.
After that exchange, the three girls continued their gossip about this and that while asking me for refills every once in a while. It started to feel like I was more of a butler than a person they could talk to.
Oh well… I'll get them to acknowledge me sooner or later. Besides, hearing them talk is fun too.
"Wait a minute!" Komachi suddenly got up in a hurry and pointed towards me. "Taishi! Your Saki-senpai's brother! Can't you tell us anything about that day?!"
"O-oh… Well, I wasn't home. I was at a friend's house. I spent the night there too." The look of disappointment was evident in her eyes, and in the other two's as well. I started to panic inside, though I couldn't tell why. When I saw that, I started to scramble for something that would satisfy their curiosity.
"Oh! I do remember something! I got back Sunday afternoon. Nee-chan was distracted the whole day. She was holding a long piece of paper in her hand all day. When I asked her about it she would avoid the question or change the subject. I asked Keika about it, but she said it was a secret. Later, I found a drawing by Keika. It was a drawing of her and two other people. The two were labeled as 'mama' and 'papa'. It also had the word 'zoo' at the top."
I quickly started saying everything I could remember from Sunday. When I got to the last part I noticed all three girls smile and glance at each other. If I thought about it I could probably figure it out, but, for some reason, I thought it would be best not to out of respect for onii-chan.
Once again, the girls started to squeal, laugh, and gossip until it was time to head to homeroom.
In the end, I was thanked for the tea and snacks. Komachi and I were in the same class, while the other two were in the one next door. Apparently, Kotomi and Ena already knew each other through their siblings. They were childhood friends.
It was only the second week of school, but for some reason, I felt as if this was going to be a really interesting year.
Sobu High School
7:55 AM
Hachiman POV
"No way! That's your brother!"
"Wait! Isn't he…!"
*Whisper* *Whisper* *Whisper*
"Ah! No way! Are you serious?! My onii-chan?!"
"Yea! I saw it first hand!"
"And I can show you proof later!"
*Whisper* *Whisper* *Whisper*
"Ehh?! Then that means…? Onii-chan is…?!"
*Whisper* *Whisper* *Whisper*
Tch. Damn high school girls. Not even a minute onto school grounds and people were already gossiping about me. I haven't even done anything to the new students yet. Don't tell me that my horrible reputation has reached the middle schools too.
As I left Komachi to head off to my classroom, I could hear the voices of two girls mix with Komachi's. Curious as to who they were, I turned to see. One girl had blonde hair and the other had light brown hair. For some reason, the sight of them looked familiar, but I ignored it as a coincidence and kept on walking.
The day hadn't even started and it was already feeling like it was going to be a bad day.
While grumbling to myself, I made my way through the relatively empty corridors. Before I knew it, I was walking past the student council's room. Once I realized my mistake, it was already too late. The door closest to me slides open forcefully.
"Senpai~..." Isshiki's voice had the same playfulness as always, but I could hear the rage and frustration behind it. "You're late…"
Grabbed by the wrist, I was pulled into the room. Even though she was younger and smaller than me it felt as if she was stronger, leaving me with no other option but helplessly to be pulled inside. I was forcibly sat down in a chair. There were several other people in the room other than us.
Next to Isshiki were vice president-san and secretary-san as well as the treasurer. Atsugi, the physical education teacher, the biology teacher, whose name I couldn't remember, were there as well. After them, and the person next to me, was Tsurumi-sensei, the home economics teacher and the service club's new advisor. I haven't interacted with her much, but she was the same hopeless type as Hiratsuka-sensei, though she seemed slightly more mature than her, or at least that was the impression I got from her.
"Good morning, Hikigaya-kun! How was your weekend? Sorry for not having been able to stop by to see how the club was going. The start of the new year has been really busy."
"Good morning. It's no problem. For the most part, we just hang around until a request shows up, so don't worry about it. Most days go by without any requests, so we aren't too busy anyways."
"Really? Well, that's good to hear. Maybe I'll bring my dau-…"
"Erhmmm…" Loudly clearing her throat, Isshiki brought attention back to focus. Tsurumi-sensei gave me a light smile and turned back to the main topic.
"Anyways, back to what we were discussing. I believe that the student body would appreciate a change of pace. Especially after last years 'prom' event held for the 3rd year last year, the students will be looking for something new, not just to return to the same old routine. In other words, I want to change the tradition of the school trip and move it to a different location. After taking into account the opinions of the third year's, I wish to submit it to the school."
After that statement, there were various back and forths from the teachers wanting to understand the reason for the idea and if she understands the different prerequisites for this to become a possibility. In the end, all she wanted from me was to agree to help her as a representative of the service club, a club that has helped the school before, and to gather the opinion of the student body. In that situation, in front of the student council and the teachers, I could hardly reject her and make her lose face as the student council president.
After a while, the meeting came to an end, Ishhiki and I were the only ones in the room.
"What the hell were you thinking just dropping me in there with no idea what was going on. You know I could have just said no and messed up everything, you know."
"Hah? Haven't I been trying to contact you all of last week? You ignored my messages and I couldn't find you at the club either. It's your own fault for ignoring me for a whole week. Hmph!"
She crossed her arms and glared at me resentfully, though to me it looked more like she was pouting. The worst part is that she was right. While I knew that she was going to get me into something troublesome, it might have been less so if I had just heard her out.
I agreed, but the decision isn't mine to make. Technically, it was Komachi's now, though, for some reason, I had a feeling that she would agree to the request without weighing the consequences. Luckily, Yukinoshita will be there too.
"Fine, but you need to be the one to make the request. As you know, Komachi is in charge now."
"Yea, yea I know how it works…"
"Fine. Then I'll see you after school. Later." I started to turn around to leave, but I noticed how oddly quiet she was.
"… Is that it…" She spoke up but sounded a little meek and pouty.
"Was there something else you needed?"
"… No." She started to gather her things together and put them in her bag with a little bit of attitude.
It took all I had to not laugh at the way she was acting. I never expected her to get into such a bad mood just because I'm acting like I don't know.
"Oi."
"What." She responded without looking towards me.
"Catch."
"Eh?" Hearing the word, she looked up only to see a small box heading her way. After hearing it land safely in her hands, I closed the door behind me.
Iroha looked towards the closed door, a small smile forming on her lips.
"Hmph! I wonder if that was his way of hitting on me… Nah… it's only right for a senpai to spoil their kouhai on their birthday…"
Lunch Break
"… after that, we went to the aquarium that you told me about. She was really talkative and open. She was also really well informed about the things going on in school. It really helped me in getting to know other people in our grade."
"You don't say. Glad you found someone to help you out, but why aren't you with them instead of sitting here with me."
"Come on~! I got to spend some time with you too. Otherwise, you'll sit here alone for the whole period."
"Being alone has never bothered me, ya know… but…" it isn't bad having someone here either. Not that I'd ever tell him that.
Muga has been busy this last week with getting to know other students and his teachers. Since I refused to show him around the city, he took up other students' offers.
"But what?
"Hmm? Nothing, just thinking to myself. Anyways, are you gonna finish that or throw it away like last time?" Muga was taking small sips of a max coffee he bought.
"Oh… I ate such a big lunch that if I keep drinking this I might explode. I thought I could fit it in, sorry. I know how much you like these, so I feel bad throwing it away~, but what can I do~?"
"You can not buy one."
"Yeah, I guess you're right there."
Looking at the time, I got up and started to head back to class. Muga, taking the hint, also got up to go.
"Oh hey, I have a question for you."
"Oh? That's rare, what's up?"
"Haa… You know about our class trips, right?"
"The ones where the whole grade goes on a field trip? Yea, if it's that, I still remember from when I was in grade school."
"Ok, well the student council wants to change up the tradition a little and go somewhere different than usual. What do you think about that?"
"Hmm… well I think that would be awesome. Though, I think it would depend on where the class would be going."
"Where do you think would be a good destination, then?"
"Hmm… well if you ask me…? Oh! In the states, one thing I enjoyed doing was skiing! Now that I think about it, I heard about a Ski and Onsen resort in Nagano. I think that would be a popular place to go."
"Ski and Onsen resort… I guess that's not too bad. The Onsen part might be really good. I could use a good soak."
"I see… you really are a man then~" He looked at me with a strange smile and gave me a forceful pat on the shoulder.
"What are you talking about?"
"It's alright. I'll make sure it doesn't leak. Leave the planning to me."
"Whatever you're implying, don't involve me in it. Anyways, during a break, announce the suggestion and we'll take a vote. Just say it's for the student council. I'll need the count for later."
"Sure, no problem. You owe me for this, though."
"Yea, sure. Just make sure it isn't anything too troublesome."
It was convenient to have someone like Muga to help me out. I don't know why he keeps around me though. With his looks and personality, he could be hanging out with the upper rings of society. Well, considering what happened with Miura and Hayama, that whole ring has broken down. Even someone like Tobe noticed something was wrong and was trying his best to act normal.
Miura has completely dropped out from the group, though. She mostly keeps to herself while the girls in class gossip about what could have happened between her and Hayama. The man himself walks around the school as usual with his fake smile plastered on his face, as if nothing has happened.
The whole thing has been kind of distracting for a lot of students. With so many different rumors going around, the whole school order has been disrupted. That's also why I think something like changing the class trip to a different location would distract people from what is going on in school.
Dammit… Why am I suddenly caring so much for school order and such? I've been wrapped up in so many different things lately… A hot spring visit really does seem like a good idea now…
Soon enough, classes passed by without much difference from any other day. Though, as the clock slowly approached the end of the day, my heart started to beat that much faster. Just thinking about how I'm going to act around Yukinoshita makes me nervous. Thinking about that… kiss… I can't help but wonder what it meant. What her words meant.
A few minutes before the end of our last class I got a series of messages from Yuigahama.
[Hikki! I already let Komachi-chan and Yukinon know about the surprise party! It seems Komachi-chan also invited a friend to the club, so come with a smile! I also invited Tsurumi-sensei, but she said she might be a little late. Now we just have to figure out how to get Iroha-chan to come to the club room?]
[Yeah, I'm not equipped with a smile. Oh, and I forgot to tell you. I took care of Isshiki. She'll be there. She'll be coming with a request though…]
[Yay! I don't know how you did it, but that's awesome. That also means we can do something as a club again! Also, can you do me a favor, since I can't? Can you invite Yumiko-chan to the party? I have to go get the cake from kaa-chan and bring it to the club room.]
What? Does she want to invite the fire queen into the ice queen's domain to surprise the sly fox? Why would she want to do that? I'd still like to live to see the next day.
[Why don't you just text her? Wouldn't that be better?]
[It's always better to tell people these things in person. Besides, what if she doesn't check her phone or something? Just do it!]
Is that why I was always ignored in middle school?
[… Fine, but no promises she'll come.]
[Thanks Hikki!]
Tch. Always get stuck with the most troublesome job.
After the bell rang and the teacher left the room, I let out a sigh and stretched my tired body. First I turned to look at Muga. I kept an eye on Miura to make sure she didn't leave without me asking.
"Thanks for making that announcement. Did you get a count? Well, doesn't matter too much, it was unanimous. I can talk to the class rep later and have her make a declaration for the class."
"Oh? You'll do it yourself? Can you handle it?"
"I can at least do that much by myself. I'll see you later, it looks like you have other business." People were standing in a group nearby. Their seats were on the other side of the classroom, so it was obvious that they were waiting for someone, and that person clearly wasn't me.
"Ah… sure! I'll talk to you later then."
Miura was starting to leave anyway, so it was the perfect time to take my leave. After leaving the room, I called out to her. I had to at least try my best to get her to come, but if I tell her the truth she'll probably refuse, but if I'm too vague she'll also refuse…
Saki POV
End of Class
Damn… I could barely concentrate during class. These notes are pathetic… Why can't I can't stop thinking about… No! No! NO! If this keeps up I'm gonna fall behind!
Ever since that day at the zoo and all the things that happened, I couldn't concentrate on anything, much less today with him behind me. What if I was doing something weird when he happened to look over in my direction. Those were the thoughts that were going through my head. I knew it was irrational but I couldn't stop thinking things like that.
After getting my things together, I noticed him leaving the room. He was probably going to his club. I got a text earlier from Taishi asking if I could go to the Service club today. This morning, he brought all the cookies I made last night. Since I couldn't concentrate on anything last night, I baked a couple of dozen cookies. Hachiman's sister wanted me to go so she could thank me for them or something like that...
Should I ask to go together…? No! No! NO! There's no way I can ask him that! I'll just quietly trail behind him at a distance…
My mind made up, I left the room and headed towards the Service Club's room. I came upon a corner and heard a voice. Usually, I would ignore it and keep going, but I couldn't this time because it was Hachiman's voice.
"Oi, Miura."
"Hmm? What is it?"
She actually responded to him in a normal way. Well, they have been talking to each other in class, but usually, it's just a short exchange.
"Are you busy right now?"
"… I'm not doing Karaoke again."
W-W-W-What?! Is he asking her out on a d-d-date?!
"Huh? Oh… No, that's not it. Yuigahama needs a favor, but couldn't ask you because she was busy so I'm asking.
"Oh… Is that all…"
Why does she sound almost disappointed?
"You don't have to. I'm sure it's fine either way."
"No, it's fine. I haven't been able to hang out with her for a while. I've actually been kind of avoiding her. It'll be good to see her."
"If you say so. Anyways, for today at least, you should probably smile a bit."
"Hah? Who are you to tell me that? I don't think I've ever seen you smile except for one of your lame jokes."
Why does it seem like they are on relatively good terms? Almost like f-friends…
"What are you talking about? It's just everyone else without a sense of humor. Besides, my frown is just a part of my charm."
"Yea, sorry. That's only cute when a girl does it. It's kind of kimo when you do it."
"Why do you have to be so mean? Anyways do…"
With my back to the wall and my heart pounding, I couldn't move for a while. It was just too surprising. Could they be…
Slowly regaining my movement. I made my way towards the service club. For some reason, I couldn't overcome my feeling of… curiosity.
Yeah, that's it. Curiosity? I needed to observe them some more. I needed to get to the bottom of their relationship. How could someone like her change so much in just a few days? They went from strangers to… friends(?) in so little time. How?!
After a bit of internal turmoil, I rushed to the club room.
Hachiman POV
"What are you waiting for?"
I was standing right in front of the door to the clubroom. I stared into the small window and could see Yukinoshita inside. She was helping Yuigahama set up a few decorations. Komachi and the bug were setting up other decorations. I thought I could at least keep it together while there were people around, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Just when I was about to open the door, it swished open suddenly.
"Oh my! Hikki-kun! What are you doing just standing there? Hmm… Yumiko-chan too! It's been too long! How are you?"
"Hello, I've been… well…"
"Isn't that nice! Well, why don't you go inside and help the girls? I need Hikki-kun's help with something."
"S-Sure…"
I could see the confused look on Yuigahama's face. Yukinoshita still had her back to the door, so I wasn't able to see the look on her face.
After that, I just followed Yuigahama's mom out into the hallway without giving it much thought. After a bit of walking, she suddenly stopped and turned around to face me.
"So tell me, what has got you so distracted."
"D-Distracted? W-What are you talking about…"
"Well, to start, last night when I asked you for things you would either hand me the wrong things or not hear what I asked. You also spent a lot of time staring out the window or at the strawberries. And today you were just standing in front of the door staring inside."
"…" Damn… I didn't realize it was so obvious. I didn't think she would be this observant.
When I was with Yuigahama, I had to focus on her and what she was doing, otherwise she would have put something weird inside. Though I still missed her mixing the sugar for salt, so maybe I was a little distracted.
"Is it something too embarrassing for an old lady like me to know?"
Not that line… Can you even be considered an 'old lady'? If I didn't know she was Yuigahama's mom, I would have thought of her as a late college student.
"Haha… No, that's not it. It's just that I can't quite put it into words…" I kept quiet for a little bit but eventually decided to talk.
"… Something important happened between me and someone in that room and I don't know how to face them anymore. It was something unexpected. I don't know if I should interact with her differently now or the same as always." I didn't give any specifics due to my unfamiliarity with her. If it was Hiratsuka-sensei, I could probably tell her the truth.
"I see…" For some reason, I thought I could see some sadness in her eyes, but I brushed it off as my imagination. "Well, I can imagine the situation from just that. In any case, right now doesn't seem to be the time to figure that out, right? Why don't you act normally for now and discuss the topic with her later? I know it's easy to say, but if you go in there with your current expression, it won't turn out too well. Take a deep breath, calm your nerves, and walk-in like you usually do. A single gesture should be enough for the two of you to understand the other's intentions."
I guess she's right about that. Right now isn't the best time to figure this all out. Besides, if I start acting too strangely, Yuigahama or even Miura might start asking questions. I could probably convince Miura, but Yuigahama likely wouldn't drop it.
"Yeah, I think you're right."
"I know I am. Also, I know my daughter well enough to know that it will cause trouble. One way or another she will notice, so please be ready to give her an explanation."
"Haha… I can't even explain it to myself… Still, I'll try…"
"Thank you for that. Well, I won't take up too much of your time. You should head back before they start to suspect something. Go on!" She gave me a light tap on the shoulder as if to encourage me. Her face was smiling, but I could tell there was some sadness in her expression, and this time, I'm sure it wasn't my imagination. For some reason though, I feel like I understood why.
Saki POV
Damn it… I've got to stop finding myself in these kinds of situations! If he finds out, he'll think I'm some kind of crazy stalker!
"So tell me, what has got you so distracted."
"D-Distracted? W-What are you talking about…"
So I wasn't the only one who thought so… I noticed Hachiman seemed distracted this morning. Before class started I was sitting on the window sill next to our classroom. I saw him approaching so I thought I would at least greet him, but when I raised my voice… he just kept walking. I considered throwing my phone at him but decided against it in the end.
"Haha… No, that's not it. It's just that I can't quite put it into words…"
I wonder what could have happened…
"… Something important happened between me and someone in that room and I don't know how to face them anymore. It was something unexpected but also expected at the same time. I don't know if I should interact with her differently now or the same as always."
Ugh… Are you serious?! My guess was that this important thing was between Yukinoshia or Yuigahama. I didn't know enough about the situation to make an accurate guess, but if it's like this…
Since he isn't avoiding them and Yuigahama invited Miura to a party, nothing bad happened, but something awkward must have happened. For this woman to see that, she must be one of their mom's. Mom's are way too nosey. It's just like my mom when she says things like 'You fell in love, didn't you?' or 'Did you see your crush today?' She's wrong, of course, but she can tell when I act just slightly differently.
"Oh my! What do we have here? Are you one of those crazy stalker girls?"
Damn! I was distracted by my own thoughts. I didn't even notice when they finished their talk. I jumped back in surprise. The woman in front of me had a soft smile with a light laugh at my reaction.
"No! I'm not a stalker! I just happened to be here at the same time…"
"I'm only joking. So, are you in love with Hikki-kun as well? Oh my, what a popular boy!"
"…" Hikki-kun? Hikki… Hikigaya? Does she mean Hachiman? Wait? Love? Me? In love with Hachiman?
"W-W-W-W-W-W-W-What are y-y-y-you talkin' about?! With that guy?! There's no way I am!"
"Oh? I'm sorry for assuming. Oh, I haven't introduced myself. I'm Yui's mom, Yuigahama Youko."
"Oh, hello. I'm Kawasaki Saki. I'm in the same year as your daughter."
"I see, I see… Well, I should get going. It seems you have a party to go to! Take care now."
"Ah! Yes, thank you." I bow slightly out of respect and quickly rushed towards the club room door. Before I opened the door I turned back to her, only to see her with a soft smile.
Why do I feel like she doesn't believe what I said…
Hachiman POV
"Yo. Sorry, I took so long." I walked into the room just like I usually did. Komachi was helping Bug hang up a 'Happy Birthday" sign. Miura was unfolding a few paper decorations, though it looked like she was struggling. Yuigahama and Yukinoshita were setting out the cake, along with other snacks, mostly cookies.
"Onii-chan! You're late! Hurry up and help move all the chairs and desks out of the way!"
Komachi was the first to call out to me. During the break, the school deep cleans the classrooms, including the unused ones. They then set it up to be ready to be used. We were all too busy, lazy really, to move them last week, but now it was necessary to make room.
"Yahallo, Hikki! What did kaa-chan need?"
"Nothing much, just moving a few boxes from her car to the trash."
"Hmm… really?" I figured that would make Yuigahama suspicious, but it was all I could think of on the spot.
"Good evening, Hikigaya-kun." Yukinoshita greeted me with a small smile, contrary to her usual flat expression.
"Yeah…" I responded with a slight smile as well. I was glad that she seemed calm. Though that could also be a bad sign, I was less inclined to believe that.
Before I could say anything else, the sound of the door sliding open surprised all of us. I'm sure we all thought we would see Isshiki there, but luckily it was only Saki.
Wait? Saki? Does she have a request?
"Saki-senpai! You're here!" I guess Komachi invited her.
"H-Hello…"
"Thank you for the cookies! They are the best!"
"Tch…" It was small, but I heard Miura click her tongue at that comment. Haha… Looks like she didn't like that… I hope we can get through today without any trouble.
Just like on Valentine's day, Miura was a little jealous of Saki's cooking talent, though the person herself doesn't think she is that good.
"I-It's just something I made in my spare time. No big deal."
"Thank you anyways! Hmm… sorry to ask you, but can you help Miura-san with the decorations?"
"Sure…" She looked over towards us. "… No problem…"
"Thank you! Taishi, let's finish hanging up the decorations!"
After that, Saki walked over towards us. "Yahallo Saki-chan! Thank you for coming."
"Yeah… Why is she so gung-ho about this party? Aren't you the organizer, or at least that's what Taishi said?"
"Haha… Yeah, but since we didn't have any requests last week, she was getting anxious about it, so when I asked her about it, she jumped at the chance. I think she wants to prove herself as the new president."
She turned a questioning glance towards Yukinoshita. "I am no longer the club president. Komachi has taken over my role."
"Right… Well, I'll get to my job then."
"Yeah! We should hurry before Iroha-chan finishes her work."
With Yuigahama's prompt, we all went to finish our respective tasks.
"Aren't you doing that a little too roughly? You're gonna tear it apart."
"Hah?"
"Hah?"
The expected confrontation happened. Though instead of a verbal confrontation, they started to compare their decorations with each other.
As quickly as we could, we all finished the final preparations. I stacked the chairs and desks together and moved them to the back.
"Hikigaya-kun, would you like some tea?"
My back stiffened at the voice. Her usual indifferent tone was softer and more welcoming. I took a deep breath and turned around to face her. "Hmm… maybe later. If I drink some now, I won't have room for the cake later."
"I see…"
"Hey… we shou-" before I could finish my sentence, Komachi announced that Isshiki was on her way over.
Komachi POV
Start of Club
What do we have here? Onii-chan arrived with Miura-senpai. I know her because I have seen her at a few school events and also because she is Kotomi's older sister. When Yui's mom took onii-chan away, Miura kept staring at the door for a few seconds. Afterward, she went to go talk to Yui and Yukino.
What did onii-chan do to her? Does that bring the number up to five now? What is he? A male shojo manga protagonist? Well since it's onii-chan, I guess it would be a light novel protagonist. Haa… What does he do to these girls?
Later, when he came back, he was his usual self. Well, at least he was trying to be. When I first saw him he looked kind of nervous. Now he was trying to hide it, but since I'm his cute imoto, I can tell.
Yukino's attention was immediately drawn to him, though it seemed like she tried her best to act normal. Yui was her same carefree self. Out of everyone, she seemed to be normal. Muira was staring at him too, but only slightly. Lastly, when Saki first came through the door, she first confirmed onii-chan's place before greeting me.
As onii-chan was working there were many times where I saw either Yukino, Saki, or Miura staring at him for a few seconds at a time. Yui continued with her work, occasionally having to call out to Yukino for the next decoration.
Could onii-chan have put some kind of spell on them? How was he able to capture them so thoroughly? It's such a mystery…
All I knew was this party was going to be fun!
I'll try to bust out the next chapter soon! Thank you!