"Yo." - Person Talking
"Yo." - Person Thinking
And here is a sudden new chapter. Let's a go.
"Onii-chan, what do you think! Tada!" Komachi shouted as one Hachiman Hikigaya laid on his bed, a book held firmly in his hands with the soothing melody of Mozart's masterpieces drifting into his ears with assistance from his headphones.
Hearing a lack of response or even interest, one Komachi Hikigaya stood in the doorway with her newly acquired Sobu High uniform in all of its glory whilst holding herself in a cute pose. But soon enough, her eyes grew distant and empty as all traces of excitement and anxiety were flushed from her person with his lack of attention. Slowly dropping her pose, Komachi stalked over to her older brother when he still failed to notice her after three minutes of her standing idly in his doorway. Each step she took increasing the angry and annoyed pout that marred her face, she soon stood imposingly beside the young man still too engrossed in his book to spare her a glance. Seeing that, Komachi slowly reached over before yanking the book from his grasp, a small twitch of a smile crossing her feature when he flinched in surprise.
"Oi." He deadpanned as he gave her a slightly irritated look, one that Komachi returned full force as he raised a brow in a questioning manner.
"You need something, Komachi?" Hachiman asked in a curious and slightly concerned manner, instantly weakening the poor imouto's defenses upon seeing those concerned eyes.
Komachi was still getting used to seeing a pair of slight slanted hazel eyes gaze back at her from behind the frames of his glasses, a complete contrast to her beloved brother's usual dead-fish like eyes she had seen countless times during their time together growing up. She found once again lost in his soft green-gray orbs, the concern that was so clearly shining in his eyes stealing her breath each time she found herself locking gazes with him. It wasn't until he placed a hand on her forehead that she broke from her trace, crimson coloring her face when she realized what she had just been doing.
"You don't have a fever, you been drinking enough water?" Hachiman asked as Komachi willed herself to not get lost in his eyes, opting to put on her formally angry and annoyed expression as he blinked in confusion.
"Komachi has been drinking plenty of water, Gomi-chan! Even though you have glasses, you still fail to see the most oblivious things!" She snapped at him with a pout, Hachiman furrowing his brow as he scanned her from head to toe before realization crossed his features.
"Ah, your uniform." Hachiman said with surprise evident in his tone, Komachi's expression brightening considerably as she gave a little twirl to show off her uniform.
"Hehe! So, what do you think, Onii-chan! Does it suit Komachi?" The excitable younger Hikigaya asked as Hachiman offered her a small smirk, Komachi smiling brightly as she did a small and cutesy dance in turn.
Seeing her brightened expression, Hachiman nodded before discretely taking back the novel that she snagged earlier. As Komachi continued to dance and prance around his room, Hachiman watched her with a small smirk on his face as he opted to entertain her antics rather then focus on his novel. With the two of them sharing a moment, they found the afternoon had melted into the evening; the voices of their parents soon drawing them downstairs for dinner.
(Time Skip - The Next Day)
"Hmm..." Hachiman groaned as he stretched his taut muscles, lightly shaking the remnants of his sleepiness as a yawn soon followed.
Reluctantly, the raven haired young man found himself forcing himself off of his bed as he started his morning rituals. Heading to the bathroom, Hachiman took a quick shower before brushing his teeth; idly drying off the remaining droplets of water as the sound of the door belonging to his parent's room caught his attention. Turning, he saw the surprised face of his father as Hakuto paused a bit seeing that his eldest was awake at such an hour.
"Hachiman, what are you doing up so early? School doesn't start until for another hour and a half right?" Hakuto asked in a curious tone, Hachiman nodding his head before heading back to the bathroom to spit out the toothpaste and rinse his mouth.
"Mhmm, just used to getting up early for my part time job. Figured I'll try making breakfast and lunch for Komachi and me for a change. You're already heading back to work? Is mom too?" Hachiman said as Hakuto offered him a smile in turn, though he shook his head in the negative at his question.
"No, she still has a few days of vacation left, so she'll be going back next Monday." Hakuto replied as he fixed his tie, Hachiman nodding his head as he walked with his father downstairs.
"Right, see you tonight then." Hachiman said lightly as he saw his father off, locking the door and heading to the kitchen to start on making breakfast and prepping for today's lunch.
(Time Skip - Half an Hour Later)
"Komachi. Komachi, you awake yet?" Hachiman called from outside of his sister's room, rapping on the door a few times as a groan was heard from within.
"I'm coming in." He announced as he opened the door, walking in and promptly letting a sigh leave his person as he saw the tangled mess that was his beloved imouto.
Currently tangled in her bedsheets, Komachi was softly snoring with a content and peaceful expression on her face. As he walked closer, Hachiman flinched as a dusting of pink coated his cheeks when he saw the usual nightwear that she had on was undone in a manner that no cute imouto should be wearing. Her comfy shorts were pulled down slightly and one of his overly large shirts she had claimed was pulled up, showing that she wasn't wearing anything underneath. A sigh leaving his person, Hachiman idly wondering if it was an ill omen to be sighing this early in the morning, he gently shook her as another groan left her mouth.
"It's time to get up, Komachi, breakfast is going to get cold. You don't want to be late on your first day, right?" He asked as he shook her a bit more forcefully, a louder and more irritated groan leaving her as she cracked an eye and glared softly at him.
"It's too early to deal with you, Gomi-chan..." Komachi grumbled as he offered her a pitiless smirk, her morning grouchiness growing progressively larger as he continued to shake her.
Finally, she flailed her arms and legs in a sluggish and defiant manner to stop him from shaking her any further. When that succeeded in stopping his shaking, she stretched her body which had the ill added effect of further pushing her sleepwear off her body, Hachiman instantly turning and heading to the door as a confused and sleepy expression crossed her face. Glancing down, realization dawned on her as she let out a cute squeal and hastily covered herself up as crimson flooded her face. Hearing that, Hachiman vacated the room as the lid on Komachi's embarrassment was about to blow, sighing once more as a muffled scream of indignation and embarrassment resounded after the door closed.
(Time Skip - Twenty Minutes Later)
"...You still mad at me...?" Hachiman asked in a slightly flustered manner, wincing at the dry look that he received in turn.
"Negative Komachi points." Komachi said in a bland and dead manner, doing her best to ignore the surprisingly delicious breakfast he had made for her.
Spending a few more minutes of eating in silence, the duo finished their breakfast after which Hachiman collected their dishes as Komachi left the table to get ensure that her outfit was perfect. While she was placing the finishing touches on herself, Hachiman quickly wrapped his mother's breakfast while leaving a note for her on the microwave. Moving to the counter, he grabbed their bento and made his way to the front door, which a slightly more lively Komachi could be seen.
"Ready to go?" He asked her to which she huffed in turn, Hachiman comforting his aching heart as she briskly walked out of the house.
Without waiting for him, she took his beloved and surprisingly unused 'Dullahan' and sped away towards her high school debut. Watching her leave, he let another sigh leave before fixing his glasses and locking the door, securing his backpack and the set of bento before leisurely making his way towards the stronghold that was Sobu High. Pulling out his phone, he saw that he still had half an hour before first bell. With that knowledge, he carried on his way, ignorant of the various looks that were being cast his way.
(Time Skip - Twenty Five Minutes Later)
(Scene Change - Sobu High: Front Gate)
Arriving with time to spare, though he knew that tardiness on the first day was always less important and rarely punished due to students getting adjusted to their new classes, he walked towards the class listing and scanned for his name. A few seconds later he found that his new domain was in a certain 'Class 3-I.' Not bothering to see if anyone he knew was in his new class, doubting that fate would allow Yuigahama to be in the same class once more or by some crazy circumstance that Yukinoshita was moved out of the 'International Course' class, he trudged towards his new class with no small amount of trepidation.
(Scene Change - Sobu High: Class 3-I)
Arriving in the classroom, Hachiman gazesd around and saw that cliques and groups were already being made. Glancing towards the board, he saw that a seating chart was posted on it. Strolling over, he gave it a quick scan before mentally nodding in approval that he was seated by the window, though it was a bit inconvenient to be flanked on the remaining three sides not showing freedom through a transparent panel.
Heading over to his seat, he activated his 'Loner's Aura' and let his anti-social mood manifest itself in full. Pulling out a book he indulged himself as he awaited the arrival of their new homeroom teacher, who Hachiman was just as ignorant of as his new classmates. Soon enough the soft chatter of the class had grown to a slightly irritating volume, Hachiman letting a mental sigh leave as he tried to drown them out.
"Who is that?"
"I dunno, never seen him before, have you!"
"He looks sorta familiar though, don't you think?"
"I think I've seen him in the shopping district."
"He reminds me of that one guy from last year, Hikitoki or something."
Hearing the various idiotic comments fluttering about, another mental sigh passed through the mind of Hachiman. While he knew that there would be a few comments here and there, he wasn't accustomed to being the center of attention like some side show at the circus. Those comments and the stares that accompanied them starting to wear on his spirit, he was relieved them the class quieter and scrambled for their seats, the raven haired youth offering a silent thanks to his new teacher as he moved to put his book away. Halfway from placing it back in his bag, he froze when he saw the familiar attractive form of one Shizuka Hiratsuka, a bright grin on her face as she scanned the faces of her new students, though she paused slightly when she locked onto him. His breath hitching, he felt his world crumble when her perplexed expression melted into a predatory one, an unsettling glint in her eyes as she moved to address the class.
"Alright class, let's take it nice and easy today and start off with a simple class introduction! We'll go around and introduce ourselves and say a little something, something about us! I'll go ahead and start! I'll be your homeroom teacher, Shizuka Hiratsuka and as for something about me... Don't mention anything about my age and we'll all get along perfectly!" Shizuka chirped in a cheerful manner, though an ominous aura shrouded her during the latter part of her introduction to the fear and horror of her students.
With the conclusion of her introduction, her smile was aimed solely at one Hachiman Hikigaya as the youth in question visibly gulped at her gleaming eyes. Soon enough, his classmates were taking turns introducing themselves to the class, their names entering and promptly fading from the kind of the ravenette. That is, until it came his turn to introduce himself. Instantly, almost all eyes were on his person as he sighed in turn, grumbling a bit as he rose from his seat.
"Yo. My name is Hachiman Hikigaya. I hope we get along." Hachiman stated in a quick manner, completely glossing over the 'interesting fact' he was supposed to share with his classmates as Shizuka sighed at him.
"Hikigaya, Hikigaya... Even if you managed to change a surprising amount on the outside, you're still so rotten on the inside..." Shizuka muttered under her breath, though the smile that crosses her face could only be described as radiant and excitable.
Seeing that Hiratsuka didn't force him to amend his introduction, he took that as a sign that he had successfully cleared the first hurdle of his new school life. Taking a seat, he once again tuned out the other introductions of his classmates, his mind drifting to how to approach his precious imouto after their debacle when they were leaving the house earlier. Whilst in his own thoughts, he was also entirely ignorant of the stunned stares that were currently piercing him from behind.
Within a few more minutes, the class introductions were finished, Hiratsuka opting to have a free period for the rest of the class for her students to met one another. Though, her attention was completely locked onto the form of Hachiman as he was engrossed in the book held in his hand. Seeing him completely disinterested in his peers brought a weary sigh to leave her mouth, though that changed when she saw a familiar silver haired ponytailed girl quickly head towards him.
"...Hey..." One Saki Kawasaki muttered with a flushed expression, doing her best to avoid making the scene more awkward then it needed to be.
When she was met with silence, she rose her face to the sight of the young man she was trying to get the attention of ignoring her. Her brow twitching a bit, Saki quickly lost her charmingly shy expression as her usual grumpy and rough scowl returned with full force. Waiting a few more seconds with no signs of being noticed by the reading ravenette, Saki's patience finally ran its course as she tapped him on the shoulder, seeing him flinch a bit before he turned to face her. Instantly, she lost her scowl when she saw that in place of the usual pair of dead-fish like eyes she had grown strangely fond of, a pair of curious and confused slightly slanted hazel orbs were instead gazing at her.
"Kawasaki?" Hachiman said in a surprised tone, bringing the attention of the silverette back from his eyes.
"O-Oh, u-uhh... I-It's nice that you're in my class this year too... I-I mean, it's nice that I know someone that I knew last year in class, someone that I know I can rely on, you know! Umm, I meant to say, i-it's good to see you again, Hikigaya!" Saki stammered in an uncharacteristically cute manner, Hachiman slowly inclining his head while returning the sentiment as Saki began screaming internally at what she was saying.
"What the hell are you saying!? You're talking like you're his girlfriend, someone that he should have been keeping in contact with no matter what!" Saki shouted at herself while trying to control her flustered expression, Hachiman raising a brow as her flustered state grew in response.
"So... H-How was your break?" Saki asked in an attempt to break the foot thick ice she felt had suddenly formed between them, Hachiman shrugging his shoulders as he put his book away.
"Nothing big happened, picked up a part time job, worked and slept. You?" Hachiman quipped as Saki gained a curious look in her eyes when he mentioned a job, though she shelved her curiosity to sate his.
"Same old, same old. Work, family and studying." Saki replied in a casual tone, seeing him nod as they settled into a slightly awkward silence.
"I noticed that your wearing glasses now, t-they look good on you." Saki finally said after a few more seconds of silence, a deeper dusting of pink as she hoped her compliment wasn't taken the wrong way.
"Uhh, thanks. I got them as a gift from my boss. Helps with keeping my eyes from looking so rotten and with the glare from electronics and the sun." Hachiman explained as Saki smiled a bit, the two falling into an amiable and light set of conversation as Hiratsuka smiled softly at the sight.
As the two resident loners sat chatting with one mother, though it was more of single lines being passed back and forth, another set of eyes were watching the pair with a curious gaze. One Yumiko Miura watched the interaction between Saki and Hachiman with a confused glint in her eyes. It was well known to Yumiko and those in their class the year prior that the two she was watching chat were the epitome of the word 'loner.' Sure Hikio chatted with Yui and Yukinoshita from time to time, but other then a greeting here and there, he failed to establish any genuine relationships with anyone outside of his club; though give his rotten personality, that was an entirely different battle in of itself. The same could be said for Kawasaki, the tomboyish and standoffish nature of the ponytailed girl being a strong enough deterrent for any who hoped to be friends with her; though she seemed to soften up slightly after her request was completed.
So, for the two most antisocial peers that she had known to suddenly openly chat with one another, and in an amiable manner she might add, it baffled her. To Yumiko, it seemed completely opposite to way that her clique talked with each other; all of them trying to get their word in as often as possible, though it usually fell into a pattern of one person speaking while the others would throw in their two cents. So seeing the two of them talk so casually and without any pretenses struck a cord in the heart of Yumiko, who's eyes gained a glint of longing as Saki suddenly giggled lightly while Hachiman chuckled softly. She was broken from her thoughts as her new classmates excitedly asked to have lunch with her, Yumiko answering them in the positive as Saki and Hachiman rose as well.
"See ya back in class, Kawasaki, gotta find Komachi for lunch." Hachiman said as he moved to secure the bento he prepared for them, Saki giving him a raised brow as she followed suit with the bento she prepared for Taishi and herself.
"Komachi-chan still making lunch for you?" She asked in a lightly exasperated but curious tone, her curiosity growing a bit more when he shook his head in the negative.
"Nah, trying to raise my Hachiman points with her so I'm taking care of breakfast and lunch. Kinda had a rough morning with her and she ran off before I could give her, her lunch." He explained as Saki nodded, still surprised that the sloth-like man from the year before had changed such an amount.
"I can probably guess you did something messed up, didn't you?" Saki asked with narrow eyes, drawing a tired sigh from the young man to her irritation.
"Just caused my beloved imouto to face the errors of her sleepwear and sleeping habits, that's all." He answered as he headed towards the door, Saki staring at him in a confused manner as she followed eight after him.
"She's in Taishi's class." Saki said when she caught Hachiman staring at her from the corner of his eyes, finally seeing those same dead-fish like eyes she had grown fond of.
"I'll be in your care then." He said as he slowed his pace and followed Saki, a smirk and a light dusting of pink gracing her features as she led them downstairs.
(Scene Change - Sobu High: Class 1-G)
"Stupid Gomi-chan... What is Komachi going to do for lunch..." Komachi muttered as she packed her belonging for break, a smiling group standing beside her as they awaited her to join them for lunch.
"Y-You can share some of my lunch, Komachi-san!" A boy in the group offered with a blush on his face, instantly drawing first blood as the other boys shot him dirty looks including one Taishi Kawasaki.
"W-Wait, Komachi-san! Nee-chan said that she's bringing me my lunch right now, so I-I can split it with you!" Taishi offered in an earnest tone, the stalemate to feed the damsel that was Komachi reaching its peak when the door to their class slid open.
"Ah, Nee-chan!" Taishi said with a bright tone and smile, the other boys of their group flushing a bit when they caught sight of Saki and found her more attractive then they anticipated.
"Onii-chan!?" Komachi called out in a surprised tone, this time the girls of their group turning a tinge pink when they saw him.
"Yo, you forgot your lunch." Hachiman said as he unwrapped the cloth holding their bento together, offering one of them to the stunned Komachi as she numbly took it.
"Here you go, Taishi." Saki said as she gave her younger brother his, the duo bidding a quick farewell before they vacated the classroom.
After they left, the group exloded into animated chatter, the recipients of their friends questioning feeling different things begin to gnaw at their insides as the curiosity of their classmates rose.
"Does your sister have a thing for younger guys!?"
"D-Do you think she'd go out with me?"
"Dude, she is way too pretty, it's scary!"
"K-Komachi-chan, your brother is so handsome!"
"I thought you said his eyes looked like a dead fish's?!"
"D-Does he have g-girlfriend?"
Hearing those questions and comments, the two felt two contrasting feelings grow inside of them. For Taishi, the poor silver haired young man hid his face as embarrassment and mortification covered his face. For Komachi, however, her eyes narrowed slightly as she took in the comments that were being said about her brother, an uncomfortable and foreign feeling growing in the pit of her stomach as the girls around her fawned over how her brother looked and how caring he was.
"Ne, Komachi-chan, c-could I trade some of my lunch with some of yours!" One of her friends asked with a tinge of pink on her cheeks, snapping Komachi out of her thoughts as she offered her a grin.
"Sure! Let's all trade!" She declared as they joined desks, an amiable atmosphere taking over as Komachi felt her mood drop once more when she heard more compliments get thrown at her brother by the other girls.
(Scene Change - Sobu High: Rooftop)
After dropping off his precious imouto's lunch Hachiman found himself walking towards the rooftop. Normally, it would've been a tranquil and stress free affair, but what the raven haired youth failed to take in account was the possibility of a companion tagging along with him, thus drawing the attention that two people, more specifically those of opposite genders, would garner whilst navigating the halls. And so, we find one Hachiman Hikigaya and one Saki Kawasaki silently and somewhat awkwardly on their way towards the rooftop together. In hindsight, the young man should've seen it coming, with how hurried the steps of his silver haired compatriot were in order to keep up with his own hastened pace. A few more minutes of that same awkward silence clung to them until the doorway to the rooftop opened, sun and fresh air washing away their worries as a pair of sighs left their mouths.
"Ara? Sakisaki?" A brunette with red rinmed glasses called out in surprise, drawing the attention of the two who gazed towards one Ebina Hina who was currently enjoying a can of peach tea and a small sandwich.
"Hina? What are you doing up here?" Saki asked in a confused manner, knowing that the brunette would normally be enjoying the company of her little group of friends.
"Hmm, can't a weary soul enjoy a lunch by herself on the rooftop of her school?" She countered as Saki shrugged her shoulders, about to walk towards her friend only to pause when Hachiman turned to leave the scene.
"W-Wait, where're you going?!" She cried out when he was about to re-enter the building, quickly latching onto the sleeve of his blazer as crimson burned her cheeks.
"To my second preferred place of rest, it's a bit crowded up here." Hachiman quipped as Saki has a small frown mar her face, Hachiman wincing a bit when it was directed solely at him.
"Oh? And who is that, Sakisaki? Ah! Is this the fabled boyfriend that a school break will bestow upon a lucky soul?!" Ebina asked as she stood up and moved to greet the newcomer, though she had to admit that there was something charming about him, like she knew him from somewhere.
"Oi, don't go bringing other people into your delusions, Ebina. It's bad enough you have em of that blonde prince and me." Hachiman grunted as he tried to ignore Saki securing a much more intimate hold on his wrist, Ebina flinching as the newcomer knew her name before the realization struck her.
"H-Hikitani-kun...!?" Ebina suddenly whispered with wide eyes, unable to grasp that the boy from last year had changed so drastically over the course of a single break.
"You too, huh? I really change that much? Then again, unlike you raijuu, I don't see people frequently enough for such a change to gradually take place. Probably like looking at a sudden before and after photo or something." Hachiman said with a slight chuckle, drawing a bit of pink to color the face of Ebina as she found it heavily out of character and equally as charming.
"C-Come'on Hikitani-kun, don't you want to spend your lunch with two beautiful girls? Or... Did you want to find Hayama-kun and finally ask him out on a exquisite date that only men of your caliber could truly enjoy?!" Ebina asked in a sly tone and she eased her poker face back, though it lost any sense of the aforementioned slyness when a profound and impassioned question escaped her mouth.
As the a dribble of blood began to run down her nose, Saki and Hachiman moved to both wipe her nose and hold it closed to stop any further bleeding. Working in sync, Saki quickly and efficiently wiped the blood away with a tissue while Hachiman pinched her nose close. Blinking at what just happened, the glasses wearing girl reddened when she was treated like a toddler by the pair, both of them sporting exasperated expressions on their faces as they led Ebina, who Hachiman still had by the nose, to the usual seating area.
"I'm going to let go now, you get any blood on us and you'll owe us." Hachiman warned her as his glasses dropped slightly, a slightly scared squeak leaving the brunette as his previously charming eyes were replaced with his usual dead-fish like ones.
Confused why her friend let out such a scared sound, Saki turned and almost let one out herself when she saw the way his glasses only added to the sharpness and intimidation factor of his eyes with how his brows were currently furrowed. With the way his glasses were drooping down the bridge of his nose, he reminded the pair of an anime or manga villain; the unamused and tried expression on his face doing little to help his case. A few second passing, Ebina remembered his request and nodded her head as he released her nose. Rubbing it slightly, though he was exceedingly gentle when he pinched it, the pair saw the ravenette fix his glasses as the villain-like appearance he had just a few seconds ago seemed like a trick of the light.
"Ha... Might as well eat here now..." He muttered as he opened his bento, the two snapping out of their stupor as they followed suit.
"So, why were you really up here, Hina?" Saki asked after swallowing a wiener shaped like an octopus, Ebina having a soft smile cross her face as she gazed down towards the school grounds.
"I got a few invites for lunch, and normally I'd accept but somehow, I wasn't feeling like it would fill the emptiness that I've started to feel since second year ended." Ebina said in a soft tone, Saki giving her a concerned look while Hachiman raised a brow.
"You could've went and found your little group, pretty sure that they're all panicking looking for each other now that you aren't in the same class." Hachiman said as Ebina giggled a bit at the thought of a panicked Yumiko and Tobe running class to class, a smile and smirk crossing the faces of her lunchmates at the sound.
"That is true, Hikitani-kun, but at the same time I didn't want them to find me. If they did, we'd all fall back into the same routine that we had last year." She said in a soft manner, instantly drawing the attention of the sole male of the group as he gave her a confused and slightly irritated look.
"Weren't you the one who wanted things to stay the same?" He questioned her as she blinked in turn, offering him an apologetic smile as a soft left her lips.
"I suppose I did... But then, I found something that I wanted more then being a part of that never changing group. I found a real friend." Ebina admitted as she glanced at Saki, whose face instantly turned crimson as Hachiman snorted slightly.
"Oh? So that's how it is, huh?" He questioned in a teasing manner, instantly regretting it when Saki slugged his shoulder in retribution.
"Oho? Should I remind a certain Hikitani-kun that he once confessed to me?" Ebina added in a snide manner, Hachiman instantly feeling the temperature drop as Saki offered him a pitiless glare at the revelation.
"And who's to blame for that? Forcing someone like me to go out of his way to falsify a confession to interrupt a true one of someone who had feelings for you, that truly was a request I should've declined." He snapped back as Ebina giggled gleefully, drawing a confused look from her companions as she took a moment to compose herself.
"This... What the three of us are enjoying and doing right now, this is what I wanted..." Ebina admitted as a somber smile crossed her face, Saki returning it with a soft smile of her own while Hachiman raised a brow as she had brushed off his earlier statement.
"Don't think I'm enjoying this as much as you think I am." He muttered in a tired tone, getting another lighter punch for dampening the mood.
"Ha, can't you just read the mood and go along with it for a change? I worry for your sister sometimes, ya know." Saki barked in an exasperated tone, Ebina giggling as the raven haired young man rubbed his shoulder.
"Going off of what I've experienced, reading the mood is only really necessary when your life is in peril. For the current situation, even if Kawasaki is a time bomb with a short fuse I doubt my life is in danger, especially with a witness here to confirm the facts should such an unfortunate event transpire. As for Komachi, I should be the one you're worried about with my precious, adorable and scheming imouto plotting multiple ways to increase her Komachi points while lowering my Hachiman points." Hachiman explained as a pair of dead eyes were all that he received in turn, a slight wince crossing his face as the pair beside him sighed and returned to their lunches while ignoring him.
Soon enough, Hachiman rose as he excused himself softly as to not disrupt the chatting girls that were beside him. Activating his 'Loner's Aura' and maximizing its effect, he slipped away while the two shared a laugh together. Managing to pass the door, which thankfully didn't require him to physically turn the handle, he made his way back to his homeroom and took his seat, seeing that he still had about ten minutes until class started back up. Taking his book out, he indulged himself in it as a curious blonde moved to stare at him as the group around her continued to laugh and chat, Yumiko being a bit curious as to why he had returned without Saki as they had left together when lunch began.
Soon enough the bell rung and more of the class filtered in. Heading back to her seat, Yumiko saw that Saki finally returned from her own lunch; growing more curious when she saw him walk past Hachiman while giving him an extremely unhappy and angry look, the ponytailed girl seeming to fume more when he failed to acknowledge it. As the rest of the class returned from lunch, class continued as it did earlier, a relatively easy and uneventful day passing in the blink of an eye.
(Time Skip - A Few Hours Later)
"Hikigaya, could you come with me for a bit?" Shizuka called out towards the young man packing his belongings, the sigh that left his mouth drawing an irritated twitch of the brow from the woman.
Reluctantly walking over, his posture and aura akin to that of a prisoner heading to their execution, he was promptly brought face first to the voluminous bust of Shizuka as a strained smile graced her features. Tightening her headlock, a muffled cry leaving his mouth, Hachiman was promptly dragged out of the classroom as Saki watched with sad eyes and an outstretched hand. Lowering the offending appendage, she left a soft sigh leave as she trudged to her out of the school alone, sparing a lonesome gaze at the struggling pair slowly making their way down the hall. With Yumiko, the blonde had watched the scene with a bit of confusion before shelving it to hunt down a certain blonde in an effort to secure a little 'back to school' date. The new entourage she had following her that she made during the day chatting around her, she searched for her friends from her second year in the hopes of creating new friendships between them.
"So Hachiman, you certainly changed over the break! I barely recognized you until I felt your overly rotten aura, I guess it was too much to expect you to change as much on the inside as you did on the outside, ne!" Shizuka chirped as she tightened her hold on him, drawing him deeper into her chest as his brow twitched in complete and utter mortification.
"I have glasses on, woman! This is why you're still single, you immature, alcohol loving chunni!" He snapped in his mind, a bit of a cold sweat appearing when she snapped to stare at him with a chilling smile on her face.
"Ara, my dear Hikigaya-kun, you wouldn't be insulting a young and beautiful teacher like me in your mind now would you?" Shizuka asked with a wider smile crossing her face, Hachiman mentally sighing as he mustered all of Shiori and Jiro's teachings in regards to dealing with older women.
Solidifying his stance and steeling his heart, he moved his hands from grabbing the arm wrapped around his neck to grasp and rub her hand. The action effectively causing Shizuka to freeze, he tightened his hold on her hands before removing and grasping them as he freed himself from the headlock. Albeit a tad reluctantly, though he'd rather die then ever admit it, he removed his face from the confines of her chest. Standing to us full height while using his free hand to fix his glasses, he gazed at Shizuka with a passionate look in his eyes as the pink colored cheeks of his teacher looked admittedly adorable.
"Damn it, somebody please marry her already before I get down on my knee and do it myself!" Hachiman screamed in his mind as Shizuka immediately forced her gaze downwards as she began fidgeting, Hachiman's brow twitching when he saw how she was acting.
"You're a grown woman for Kami's sake, Hiratsuka! You can't be playing the shy schoolgirl card at your age!" He mentally cried as he found his cheeks turning pink when she shyly rose to meet his gaze, feeling a bit of his soul chip when the ploy he had created would surely shatter her maiden's heart once it was over.
"H-Hiratsuka-sensei... I uh... I don't think you should be so touchy-feely, someone might get the wrong idea, you know..." Hachiman muttered with an embarrassed tone, Shizuka's face flushing even deeper as she yanked her hand away and rubbed the back of her head.
"A-Ahaha! Y-You're completely right, Hikigaya-kun! S-Sorry about that, didn't mean to inconvenience or make you uncomfortable or anything like that! Y-You know that I'm just a hands on kinda teacher, r-right?" Shizuka said with a laugh as she tried to play off the whole situation as a joke of some kind, Hachiman grunting as he rubbed the back of his head as well though he slowed when he saw a forlorn glint in her slightly moist eyes.
"Tch... But... I just meant during school hours, you know. I mean, outside of school we can still do that kind of stuff, if you're fine with me that is." Hachiman said with untold amounts of embarrassment, red coloring his entire face as Shizuka froze at his statement.
"He said that it's fine to be touchy-feely outside of school with him. That he doesn't mind that it's me as long as I don't mind that it's him. Is he... Is he asking me out, after school hours end?!" Shizuka screamed in her mind, steam beginning to rush from her ears as she swiftly turned around and straightened her posture.
"H-Hmph! D-Don't be so arrogant, Hikigaya! It'll take more then just whispering s-sweet nothings to your teacher for that to happen!" She told the youth as she forced herself to calm her hammering heart, her bravado falling short as her legs were shaking slightly with the rather heartfelt encounter.
"Uh, sure... I'll try harder next time." He answered as her heart nearly stopped, Hachiman breathing a sigh of resignation when he heard that it would take more then what he did to ease her torment of his person.
Awkwardly, they made their way towards the destination that they were both originally set on heading to. Hachiman doing his best to avoid provoking Shizuka while the aforementioned teacher stole glances at the raven haired youth with pink still coloring her cheeks. Mentally, she was trying to calculate what other possible avenues Hachiman would take to try and steal her heart, and depressingly it didn't seem like he needed to do much to secure the heart and soul of the woman. At that realization, she dropped her head and began to mutter cutely under her breath as Hachman stilled his breathing, readying himself to fend off another assault as they neared the clubroom.
(Scene Change - Sobu High: Service Club Clubroom)
Arriving at the entrance of the Service Club clubroom, Hachiman was about to enter only to pause when Shizuka held her around out in front of him. Turning and raising a brow, he sighed when she gave him a mischievous smile and wink. Shifting to stand behind her, she nodded and opened the door as the chatting forms of four girls could be seen happily and animatedly talking with one another.
"Ah, Hiratsuka-sensei! Yahallo!" Yui cheerfully greeted with a wave, Shizuka returning it as she scanned the faces of those present.
"I understand that club activities do not officially begin until next week, but we wanted Komachi-san to get accustomed to the clubroom. I hope that you do not mind us taking an hour after classroom hours end to utilize it, Hiratsuka-sensei." Yukino stated in a apologetic tone, though she soon smiled when Shizuka waved off her concerns.
"It's no problem, ladies. How're you feeling about being a part of the Service Club, Komachi-chan?" She asked the latest addition to her small and headache inducing club, getting a cute and bright smile from the first year.
"I'm all ready for club duties, sensei! I won't let you down like my poor Gomi-chan!" She declared as a round of giggles filled the room, Hachiman muttering under his breath as he awaited Shizuka's signal to enter.
"Speaking of Senpai, where is he? I've been searching all day for him and haven't seen his yet! I even snuck out of homeroom for a little bit to spy on his and still didn't see him!" One Iroha Isshiki exclaimed as a slightly uneased look crossed her face, one mirrored by Yui and Yukino.
"Now that you mentioned it, I haven't seen Hikki all day either. I wanted to surprise him so I avoided texting and calling him, but now that it's almost time to head home I'm wondering if it was the right thing to do." Yui lamented in a soft and sad tone, drawing protective looks from the others as they silently cursed the aforementioned Hachiman for his 'crimes.'
"Though I doubt that you need to worry about Hikimissesthefirstdayofclub-kun, Yuigahama-san. Even if he is a poor excuse for a functional member of society, he has enough intellect and sense to avoid placing himself in life threatening situations, barring the occasional altercation with Hiratsuka-sensei." Yukino added as a wry round of laughter sounded, Shizuka's brow twitching as the memories of such events returned to the forefront of her mind.
Soon enough the five were chatting once more, Hachiman having resigned himself to his fate as he pulled out his book and leaned against the wall. A few more minutes passing, the possibility that Shizuka had forgotten about him grew more and more plausible to the chagrin of the raven haired youth. But just as he was about to claim the particular tile he was standing idly on as his own, a loud and resounding 'Come in' broke him from taking his first steps into real estate.
Debating on whether or not immediately following her order was the proper choice, he figured it would be the choice with the least amount of headache of pain. When he entered he heard a set of gasps as Yui and Yukino recognized him as the employee who gave them their meals a week prior. Isshiki merely stared at him in a slightly unnerving manner, her eyes holding none of the warmth or mischief that they normally held. As for Komachi, being the superior and sly imouto that she was, she quickly picked up on the situation and opted to remain quiet, though she was looking at her brother with eyes glinting with guilt and shame.
"Yo." Hachiman unceremoniously said as he rose his free hand in a lazy wave, the trio who were out of the loop merely staring at him like he was a stranger until Yukino's eyes widened.
"H-Hikigaya-kun?" She said in a tone of disbelief, her statement causing Yui and Isshiki's eyes to widen as they stared at him like he had grown a second head.
"H-Hikki!?"
"Senpai!?"
"Seriously, do I really look that different." He deadpanned as the trio darted towards him, his instincts immediately screaming at him to run while he still had the chance.
"N-No way!? Y-You can't be Senpai! My Senpai has eyes that even a dead-fish would find disgusting and suspicious!" Iroha shouted as she latched onto the front of his blazer, scanning him head to toe for any and all signs that he was indeed her belov-rotten eyed Senpai.
"Oi."
"Y-You're not joking, are you?! H-Hikki, the Hikki I know would never willingly work unless something drastic happened! Like an alien messed with his brain or someone was holding Komachi-chan for ransom!" Yui exclaimed as she followed Isshiki's example and looked for any and all signs that the person in front of her was indeed her Hikki, the cheeks of the pinkette growing warm as she focused her attention to his face.
"I'm literally standing in front of you."
"How can we be truly sure that you are Hikigaya-kun? I don't take kindly to those who impersonate those that I am fond of." Yukino asked in a frigid tone that caused everyone to shiver, Hachiman mentally sighing as he snapped his book shut.
"You guys aren't messing with me, are you?" He asked in an exasperated tone, getting two confused and one icy stare for his question.
"Right. Let's just do this already." He muttered as he simply removed his glasses, his normal and slightly slanted eyes instantly being replaced with his signature dead-fish like eyes to the shock, relief and horror of the trio.
"Hikki!"
"Senpai!"
"H-Hikigaya-kun..."
Iroha and Yui were instantly smiling as they latched onto him. The second year snuggling against his arm while Yui was holding his hand with a radiant smile on her face. A bit lost in the moment, they were broken from it by a dead eyed Komachi who coughed loud enough to break them from their enraptured state. When they finally took notice, they squeaked before sprinting away from him like he was made of fire.
"A-Ah! S-Sorry Hikki! I didn't mean to do that! I mean, there's no way I'd ever do that with you right now! Maybe later, but definitely not now!"
"S-Senpai, a-are you trying to take advantage our our month long parting to make a sudden move on me?! I'm terribly sorry but your timing is just the worst and unfortunately my heart is still healing from Hayato-senpai's rejection from last year, if you were to try again in private then maybe I would consider giving you a chance but as it is right now my answer is no, sorry."
"...You guys are just messing with me." Hachiman muttered in a tired tone as he placed his glasses once again on his face, the others watching with rapt attention as something as simple as a pair of glasses could ease the sharp appearance of his eyes.
"Well, I'm going to head home now. You staying Komachi?" Hachiman stated before turning towards his sister, getting a negative shake of the head as she bounded over to his side.
"Mmm, anything else for today?" He asked the gathered group, once more getting a negative shake of the head as he nodded in turn.
"Right, then I'll catch you all tomorrow then. Oh, and Yukinoshita?" Hachiman said as he headed towards the door, pausing to address the raven haired beauty as she stiffened a bit out of reflex.
"I'm so glad that you're 'fond' of me too." He said with a haughty smirk on his face, crimson exploding on the face of the poor girl as steam seemed to spout from her ears.
Quickly vacating the premises before any of the four that they left behind could launch a counter attack, the Hikigayas quickly found and released the 'Dullahan' from its earthly shackles before taking off at breakneck speed, which was still perfectly in line with the optimal and legal speed for a pedestrian powered bicycle with two bodies of Hachiman might add. En route to their home, Komachi remained silent through the journey, opting to simply tighten the arms currently wrapped around her older brother's abdomen.
"Ne, Onii-chan?" She asked in a soft tone, Hachiman nodding his head in confirmation to her voice
"Komachi is sorry about how she was this morning." She said in the same soft tone from before, a soft rumble being all she needed to know that everything was alright in their lives.
"That's all? It's fine, so don't worry about it. My adorable imouto could never do anything that could possibly hurt me. Ah, I bet that was worth a ton of points!" Hachiman told her as she giggled in turn, a warm smile marring her face as she snuggled into his back.
They continued to ride in amiable silence until a familiar ringtone caught their attention. Seeing that her hands were free, Komachi expertly pulled her brother's phone from his pocket and checked the caller ID, seeing that it was the same girl that they had escaped from before she could utter a retort.
"It's Yukino-chan, Onii-chan." She reported to him as he stiffened a bit, sighing as he shook his head.
"I'll answer it when we get home." He told her as she nodded in understanding, Komachi about to return it to her pocket when another ring sounded.
"It's Yui-chan now." She reported once more as another sigh left his mouth, once more getting a shake of her brother's head.
"Same thing." He stated as she nodded, though a third ring sounded soon after.
"Isshiki?" He asked as she replied in the positive, Hachiman shrugging his shoulders as Komachi sighed when another ring resounded.
"Ah, it's Hiratsuka-sensei!" She said as she felt him stiffen, Komachi giggling as a resigned sigh left his mouth at the name.
"Just put it on speaker..." He muttered as Komachi happily obliged, the siblings, Hachiman, getting an earful from the three girls who had coerced their teacher to make the call knowing his innate fear of her.
As the sounds of three angered and flustered girls sounded from the speaker of his phone, Hachiman Hikigaya sighed as he did his best to answer the repeated questions that those across the line bombarded him with. Though he was growing exhausted with entertaining their questions and slightly irritated with questions that were repeated differently to throw him off, he couldn't deny the small smile that was spread across his face as he conversed with them. As he carried on, he was entirely ignorant of the somber and forlorn eyes of his younger sister as she listened to the voices that were growing progressively warmer and more jovial as they started discussing nonsensical things; the only indication that she dared show her beloved brother being the slight tightening of her grip on his person.
"Dummy, nincompoop, Gomi-chan..."
And that's a wrap. Thanks for reading, stay awesome.