[Yuigahama Yui, 19th June, 1630 hours]
My head hurt. My tongue felt like sandpaper. I couldn't feel my fingers.
Where am I? As I gradually swam to the surface of consciousness, I was vaguely aware of muffled voices that reached my ears.
"...no choice! She discovered my-"
"Due to your own incompetence. Don't forget that."
Not bothering to wait for my vision to clear up, I ignored the spikes of pain in my skull and tried shifting my weight around. Unfortunately, it appeared I was tied to a chair.
"Don't get so full of yourself! What's it to you, anyway?"
"Ou-sama put me in charge of you louts, so everything that goes wrong falls on me. Alright? I have a right to know. Looks like she's up."
This seemed to be the gymnasium. A crowd of murmuring students milled around the various chunks of equipment, focusing their collectively undivided attention on the area around me. To my right stood Tobe-kun and a dark haired boy who I didn't know. To my left...
I gasped.
"So you do know her," droned the dark-haired boy, casually laying an arm on the shoulder of Yukinoshita-san's unconscious form. She was bound to a chair, just like me. "I was wondering what a student from Group F was snooping around for, but turns out she was one of your henchmen all along, huh."
"Oh, it's not like that," I replied, keeping my voice as light as possible. "We're just in the same club."
His face fascinated me. Objectively it was a boring face, one that you would see on every average person around. However, there was such a look of resignation in his dull grey eyes that the shadows within seemed to swallow up his entire countenance. He turned to me, his eyes two skeptical vortexes that seemed to bore into my soul. Just like Hikki, this boy had probably seen some horrible days, but unlike Hikki who had hardened his eyes into chips of diamond this boy had resigned to his suffering and let the light in his eyes disappear along with the fragments of his soul. Despite the situation, I felt sorry for him.
"Don't screw with us, wench!" screamed Tobe-kun. I couldn't really blame him; he was in a pretty tight spot because of me. The moment Hayama-kun noticed I was missing would be the moment Tobe-kun's fate was sealed. Not to mention the fact that Hikki would come for Yukinoshita-san any minute now...
"Shut up," commanded the dark haired boy tiredly, before turning back to me. "Welcome to our base of operations. I am Ou-sama's chief strategian, Bishop. Right now we are keeping you as a hostage to bargain with Hayama Hayato, so don't think you'll be leaving just yet."
"Bargain? Hah!"
A wheedling cackle burst out from the shadows beside me, and a lanky chestnut-haired boy strode out. What's going on? I didn't sense his presence at all! And is that a baseball bat?
The boy casually swung said baseball bat over his shoulder to point it straight at me. "Yo, sugar. Don't even try to escape, got it? I'll kill you, seriously."
"This is Rook, our only decent combatant," Bishop continued, sounding extremely fatigued. "And I believe you've met Knight already."
I nodded, opting not to say anything until I'd gotten a better grasp of the situation. Noticing that I was awake, the crowd of students wandering about the gym had stopped whatever they were doing to stare intensely at me. "Um, I don't really play chess, but are you guys named-"
"Yes, yes we are," sighed Bishop immediately, as if he had been anticipating the question. "Ou-sama said it was to mask our identities... or something." His answer was satisfactory but vague, meaning he was probably on guard not to let slip any information about the shady group I'd just been kidnapped by.
"Like anyone would bother remembering the names of a bunch of Group C students, anyway!" cackled Rook. Pointedly ignoring Bishop's disapproving look, he leered at me. "Hey, sheltered girl. Ya probably started from Group B, right? Most people at this school do. You fought like a shark and got to the top, good for ya. But you know what happens to those who fail? Those who you people trampled without lookin' back? That's us. Stamped into the dust like the little worms we are."
The murmuring of the students all around us had been a dry, unpleasant hum, much like a swarm of bees. As Rook's speech continued and his voice rose with every word, a collective growl seemed to rise up from the crowd, a low vibration that clung to the air.
"Group F has it easy. They've messed up more than once, the school hates them, and they don't care. What about us, huh? Hanging between a trash life and a trash death, where a small poke decides everything. The fear of making just one mistake, the hope of getting just one recommendation... it's Hell. Hell, I tell ya!"
He spat, slamming his baseball bat into the metal wall. The crowd snarled. If not for fear of the madman wildly swinging in front of me, I had a feeling they would have lynched me and Yukinoshita-san by now.
"Yeah, I know Ou-sama's just using us for his own selfish gain." Upon hearing some of the students gasp Rook whirled around to face them. "Yeah, I mean it! Get it into that thick skulls of yours. We're just pieces in his big game. But you know why we fight for him? You know why? You. You know why?"
The unlucky sacrifice was a bespectacled girl, who yelped as the metal bat swung down to point at her. "Uh, um... because we respect him?"
"Wrong!" Rook roared, making a dent in the wall with his bat. The girl shrieked, instinctively shielding her face with both hands. The dreaded metal bat swung down again to arrow a boy at the front. "How about you. You know why?"
"Because we'll do anything for him!" declared the brave soul, puffing out his chest in unwavering confidence and loyalty.
"Wrong!" screamed the tyrant, slamming his bat onto the ground to create an impact so strong that chunks of the gymnasium floorboards pelted the boy's chest. Bishop and Tobe-kun watched impassively as the poor boy collapsed amidst a thick cloud of dust, clutching at his ribs and coughing blood. Nobody tried to help him.
"Last chance before I go crazy, y'all. Now. How about..." His bat swung around slowly, until it was less than three inches from my face. "...you."
Something unpleasant coiled in my gut, twisting upward to claw at my windpipe and exhume poison through my lungs through my increasingly shallow breaths. Rage, I realised.
There was a collective holding of breath. All of the students had come to the realisation that I was a valued hostage, but Rook would kill them all without a shred of hesitation if his mood dictated it. And the potent fear on each one of their faces enraged me further.
Staring down the lethal metal bat, I didn't care about my life or anything of the sort. I wanted to scream at him for valuing his comrades so little. I wanted to make him apologise to the boy he'd just injured. And staring at the bitter malice and rage in his eyes, I just wanted to give him a hug and tell him that everything would turn out okay.
But not everyone can get everything we want, right? Not you, not me, not Hayato-kun, not even the mastermind who's doing all this. It's a cruel world full of good people who fight a futile battle for happiness with all their might. And when they don't get it, what happens then?
"I think I know," I said. "You fight for your King because he's all you have left, right?"
The bat never left it's position, but his lack of reaction told me I was right. In the midst of the group of puzzled enemies and unconscious allies, I bowed my head and started to cry.
[Hikigaya Hachiman, 19th June, 1700 hours]
Clinging to the rafter, I willed my palms to refrain from producing even a slightest bit of perspiration. One small slip was all it would take; if the fall from the gymnasium roof didn't kill me, the brainwashed drones down below certainly would. Sneaking around like this certainly was not my style, but the cultish gang down below had two hostages (one, as far as I was concerned) and I needed them back to continue... whatever had I been doing, again?
Establishing another social hierarchy from the bottom of the social ladder? Finding something to fight for? Validating my ideals and existence? Maybe all. Maybe none. Either way, this was exactly why I was hanging above a bunch of disgruntled, religious maniacs, currently putting my full trust in a creaking wooden beam fifteen metres above ground level.
Actually, what the hell am I doing?
As far as I could sense with my restricted field of vision, Yuigahama was skilfully stalling for time with an emotional display. With the way those goons were gawking at her it seemed to be working, but I was fairly sure lengthy conversation could have sufficed. What was the point of putting up such a big show of crying her heart out? Even I was starting to feel uncomfortable.
Somehow I had a feeling that she wasn't just stalling for time, but I gave her the benefit of the doubt anyway. No member of group S could be that weak.
Speaking of which, here come my reinforcements.
The group below only seemed to have one hardened fighter (the one with the baseball bat), but even he was in no position to take Hayama on in his tumultuous emotional state. If Hayama brought enough backup with him there hopefully wouldn't be a need for me to step in...
The gymnasium doors slammed open.
"Freeze!" boomed Hiratsuka-sensei. She was flanked by five sizeable security guards and no one else. "We received a report of unlawful assembly in here, so all of you are coming with us! Now, nobody move!"
A hundred pairs of eyes swivelled to face her. For lack of anything better to do, they simply stared.
Hiratsuka-sensei laughed nervously, rubbing the back of her head with a sheepish expression on her face. "Ah, um. When I said 'Nobody move' just now I didn't actually expect nobody to move, y'know. You guys could be a little livelier..."
Silence reigned in the gymnasium. The face of a security guard contorted briefly as he stifled a sneeze, as if afraid to shatter the brittle air. Somebody in the midst of the crowd let out a light, embarrassed cough.
"Could you guys at least act like normal rebellious students or something?" barked Hiratsuka-sensei. This woman was pretty tough, if nothing else. "I've been waiting so long for this moment! Practiced my lines on the way here and everything!"
She was evidently used to bulldozing her way through awkward social situations such as this. As she ranted on about having trained her Fist of Justice for this very moment, the mass of Group C students shrunk back. Not out of fear, but of sheer embarrassment. From the deepest depths of my heart, a shred of sympathy produced itself.
Anyway... sacrificing a teacher to test the waters before stepping in personally, huh? Sometimes I wished Hayama would act a little differently from me. At any rate, my plan of sitting back and watching the show was souring by the minute. Keeping in mind not to make any sudden movements, I began my descent.
"Now, who will taste my Fist of Justice? Come at me, don't be shy!"
"No need for that, lady."
The chestnut-haired baseball maniac stepped forward, eyes narrowed to reptilian slits. Despite his hostile countenance, his mouth was twisted into a grin. Killing intent oozed from his figure, and three out of five of the security guards stiffened instinctively.
"Oh?" sneered Hiratsuka-sensei. "Good to see one of you has guts, I suppose. Think you can beat a bunch of grown adults down, do you? What's your name?"
Yes, actually. We have three mafia goons, two clueless lumps of muscle and one oblivious teacher. I'd say a minute will be enough.
The maniac slammed his bat into the ground, creating a shockwave and raising a thick cloud of dust. Allowing gravity to carry me through the remaining distance between my body and the ground, I slid along the gymnasium wall into the darkest shadow in the area, taking extra care to conceal my presence entirely. Now all that was left was waiting for the right moment to strike.
Snake-like eyes flicked upward and shark-like teeth bared downwards in a snarl. "Call me Rook, lady. And with such a ragtag bunch as my opponents, I'll take half a minute."
Looks like someone's getting ahead of himself. I frowned. I did not particularly like individuals who defied my expectations, much less individuals who set their expectations above mine. The childishly spiteful part of me wished for Hiratsuka-sensei to somehow beat him down even though it wasn't possible.
Then again, this was the teacher courageous and capable enough to supervise a rebellious organisation, continuously waging war against Sobu High's airtight security and administration. Surely the airheaded appearance was just a front? Surely she knew what she was doing? Perhaps it was high time for me to have some more faith in friend and foe alike.
Correctly sensing that this was an enemy that should be eliminated as soon as possible, the three mafia thugs moved forward to attack, only to be stopped by a gesture from Hiratsuka-sensei. Her hands unfolded in what seemed to be a conciliatory gesture.
"Boy. I understand you're angry, but this isn't the way to fight."
Rook spat. "You? Understand? Don't bother, lady. Does a lap dog understand how a stray behaves? Sitting in his pen day and night, watching all those filthy mongrels fight and paw away in the rubbish heap. You think we like to live this way, don't you?"
"I'm not as sheltered as you think, you damn brat," snapped Hiratsuka-sensei. "So what if I don't understand you completely? I-"
"You got it wrong from the start," scoffed Rook. "I'm not doing this cuz I'm angry, ya know." With malice in his eyes and a grin on his face, he swung his bat upwards to casually rest it against his shoulder. "I just have nothing left to lose, that's all."
Hiratsuka-sensei sighed. "To say that with such a proud expression... you're a problem student, that's for sure."
Capable and compassionate as she might be, I wouldn't expect Hiratsuka-sensei to understand these students. Within the school's unforgiving system, Group C students were the doubly unforgiven; too helpless to be noticed by the upper caste, and too unremarkable to be pushed to rock bottom. These were the ones who had seen the cruelty and filth that humans could ever display. The ones who saw the light at the end of the tunnel every single day, yet knew that they would never reach it. Hopeless degenerates, using whatever little power they had to inflict misery on those around them. Human scum.
Focus.
Just like me.
Focus.
I had worked so hard to shake off the oppressive restrictions that society had placed on me, yet I was still unable to overcome the chains within myself. In the end, how different was I from these people?
Focus!
Forcefully, I displaced my attention back to the situation at hand. If I were in Hiratsuka-sensei's position, I would send the two normal security guards as fodder. Assuming the Rook took both of them out in one swing, I would get two of my remaining guards to restrict his movement, and assign the last one to sacrifice his body to grab onto the bat. Then in the approximately 0.76 seconds before he broke free, I would land a blow to his right temple, knocking him out with a probability of five percent. Of course, these were not reassuring odds.
"Have more faith in the people around you!" Shiromeguri-senpai would always exclaim in response to my complaints. "Be they friend or foe, you have to trust that they know what they're doing, right? Humans can't live properly otherwise."
I won't change the way you want me to, Shiromeguri-senpai. But I'll change, alright.
Then the woman whom all my hopes rested on cleared her throat and slowly turned around. "Right. Um, I dunno... just grab him."
[Hikigaya Hachiman, Date and Time unspecified]
I had already become a social reject long before my high school debut. An outcast, shunned by adult and campus society. I had been ostracized by an abnormally large number of people, rejected by an unhealthy number of girls, and most importantly... well, there couldn't be anything more important than that, right?
If someone had told me I was going to be a heinous crime lord, micromanaging ten of Chiba's gangs, at least four of its drug routes and virtually all of its middle and high schools, I would have scoffed in their faces. My future was all planned out before me; much as I loathed to admit it, I was doomed to stay a social outcast for the rest of my life, floating around with no real purpose. To my entirely ambitionless existence, this was not a bad prospect.
However, this future devoid of expectation was in fact my solace. By indulging in this mediocre, marginally-worse-than-average life, I was shielding my eyes to the mountain of debt my family had incurred to various illegal organisations and the endless suffering my parents had borne in attempts to lessen the burden. They urged my younger sister and I to refrain from getting involved and I accepted happily, choosing monotony over despair.
I watched as my parents sacrificed more and more, spectated as my sister crumbled under the muted yet oppressive pressure that we were all meant to share. Even long past the point where I wanted to face the nightmarish reality that was my life, I realised that watching was the only option I had left. And silently, I resigned to it. I quietly averted my eyes as my parents made their final sacrifice, and my sister transformed into a hollow shell of what she once was. And yet, I would still have forgiven myself if Komachi and I had been beaten to death by hoodlums or starved to death on the street. There was nothing that could have been done, I told myself.
On the way back from our parents' funeral, Komachi got involved in a traffic accident. And who would have guessed? All I did was watch.
That day, I realised two things. Firstly, that this world is full of scum. Secondly, that I was no better than any of them. The violent gangs that destroyed her family, the driver of the car who didn't bother to stop after almost killing her, and the older brother who let go of her hand: all of them were rotten to the core, just in different ways.
That was when a little something in me reared its head. A life of mediocrity was no longer an option for Hikigaya Hachiman. He would proceed to obtain power just to abuse it, manipulate others for the mere sake of doing so, stabilize societies only to overturn them... fated to show the ignorant masses around him just how revoltingly despicable they all were.
There we go. The tragically anticlimactic conclusion of one sob story among millions.
[Hikigaya Hachiman, 19th June, 1705 hours]
Returning from my brief recollection, I surveyed the scene from my hiding spot. As expected, all five guards had been laid out flat on the ground, their bodies contorted in impossible ways. The stench of iron pervaded the air.
That didn't even take half a minute.
The Rook casually turned toward Hiratsuka-sensei. "You're gonna charge me too?"
Her face was a ghastly shade of white. "You... your movements... you're just a kid!"
"Stuff happens, lady. Look," he dropped his bat and mockingly spread out his arms in a mimicry of Hiratsuka-sensei's gesture from earlier. "I know you're not the fighting sort, okay? So I'll give you a chance to leave. Just deliver a message for us."
"...Go on."
Whatever little courage she had mustered vanished when Rook picked up his bat and slammed it into the ground in one swift motion. The crowd of Group C students flinched sympathetically.
"Tell Hayama Hayato that we're not leaving until he comes to chat. And that we've got his friends too."
This situation was a mess, I realised as Hiratsuka-sensei exited the gymnasium doors with her dignity barely intact. Not the fact that two of my clubmates were being held hostage; I had no doubt that Hayama would settle that when he arrived. However, in the span of time that occurred between, what exactly was I going to do?
At the moment I was perfectly hidden in the dark corner of the gymnasium, but in a spot that would demand instant attention the moment I stepped out. I could take on all the individuals present here if they charged me, but the discovery of my presence would no doubt cause them to act hastily, for instance retreating to another location. In short, the one who was compromising this operation the most was, in fact, myself.
I guess that's all the more reason to hide myself, then. When lying in wait, one must always expect an ambush from inside the darkest shadows in the area and must hence conceal himself in the darkness first to greet anyone who comes in afterwards. Knowing this, I had fully expected an ambush when I concealed myself in this corner earlier, but it seemed my worry was for nothing. If these novices weren't even aware of this basic stratagem, hiding myself for a while longer was going to be easy.
In hindsight, these people didn't seem to be very intelligent planners. A few select personnel should have been selected for such a dangerous operation like this, yet they brought along a whole crowd of useless Group C students with them. They seemed to only have hired one decent fighter, most likely without researching the combat abilities of Hayama and his Group S friends. And knowing his heartless and calculative nature, did they actually think a few hostages were going to force him to listen to their demands? The only decently smart move that this Ou-sama person had made probably was refraining from being here in person.
The Rook sighed as he casually picked his bat up. "Still, I gotta say I'm not sure about this plan. I've seen Hayama Hayato around and he doesn't exactly seem like a pushover, y'know. Eh, Knight? You've known him for awhile now."
"Completely heartless," agreed the boy who had standing by Yuigahama's side all this time. I hadn't paid much attention to him, but now I immediately recognised him as the noisy buffoon always by Hayama's side. Tobe Kakeru, was it? I hadn't approved of his recommendation because he seemed like a complete idiot, but Hayama had claimed that he sensed great potential in him for reconnaissance and undercover work.
Well, he wasn't wrong... oh, the irony. Looks like we've got our mole right here.
"I don't think he'll even hesitate to cut us down even if we show him these people here," Tobe Kakeru the Knight continued. "We'll have to make it quick. But are you sure you can get it done, Bishop?"
"Absolutely," droned a voice from the other end of the gymnasium, as a black-haired boy stepped out from the shadows. "I've done stuff like this before, don't worry."
Since when... I didn't sense his presence! So they had assigned someone to guard the dark corners of the area, and it was by sheer luck that I had not run into him when hiding here? My blood ran cold, and ran colder when the Bishop uncovered a gun from a hidden pocket in his school uniform.
A real gun.
It all became crystal clear to me in a few horrifying moments. Why they had brought so many people with them despite the fact that it would hinder them. Why they seemed so confident that they would be able to deal with Hayama. Why they seemed so unprepared to make demands.
This was not an operation or anything of the sort. It was a public execution. A ritual. These lunatics were displeased at the school's oppressive system and were willing to do anything to tear it down, even if it meant outright murder of its figurehead.
Oi, this is bad.
"Let's review the plan once again," droned the Bishop as he strolled across the gymnasium floor. The multitude of Group C students parted reverently to clear a path for him. "Knight will lure him toward the hostages. The moment he steps onto this area right here in the middle of the gym, Rook will let out a large amount of killing intent to distract him while all of you close up the surrounding area. Then I'll end it with a couple of shots to his head."
Really bad.
"Don't panic if he dodges and I end up hitting some of you instead," the Bishop continued, as he stopped his pacing right next to the spot where I was hiding. "Remember, we all owe our lives to Ou-sama and some of you dying today is a part of the plan anyway."
We're reaching levels of bad that shouldn't even be possible.
It was evidently time for a quick of change of plans. Before Hayama showed up and unknowingly got himself murdered, I would have to stop this assassination attempt even at the cost of the opportunity to apprehend all of these people. Since the Bishop was standing right next to me and was probably the only member of this group who knew how to handle firearms, all I needed to do was incapacitate him. With my 'Body Analysis' skill (rated 82 out of 108), I would easily locate the pressure points on his torso within less than half a second and-
The barrel of the gun was pointed straight at my head.
"I suppose you let your guard down since nobody was waiting for you in the darkest corner of the gym," droned the Bishop with a self-satisfied expression on his face. For the first time, my attention was drawn to his soulless eyes; two inky veils of shadow at first glance, but if you stared carefully enough, the demons within stared back at you. The expression of a madman. "But nobody does that, really. When lying in wait, you hide in the second darkest corner to see who will hide in the darkest one. Don't get so full of yourself, you damn amateur."
The Knight's presence vanished from my senses, a taser was pressed up against my neck, and everything that happened afterward was just as expected.
[Yukinoshita Yukino, 19th June, 1730 hours]
I had expected myself to wake up in the infirmary or a pool of unconscious students with Hikigaya-kun attempting to violate my unconscious form like any healthy young male would. Instead, I woke up in the gymnasium bound to a chair. Yuigahama-san was restrained in a similar way on my right, and Hikigaya-kun was bound and lying on the floor to my left. Three menacing figures stood guard while a crowd of students stared at us with unnerving silence.
Evidently, several events had transpired while I was unconscious.
"Hikigaya-kun," I said. "You have performed below my expectations."
His face tilted upwards, and I caught the sight of blood on his face. "Right. Sorry. I let my guard dow-"
"After today I will have to call your sexual orientation into question."
"...what?"
I assumed that this gathering was some sort of gang or cult and the three individuals standing before me were the ringleaders, one of which I immediately recognised as my assailant. Rook, was it? Since he had implied that this group worked against the school administration, Kakeru Tobe from Group S, who was standing nervously by Yuigahama-san's side, was most likely a double agent. And the black-haired boy...
"You're up? Wonderful. I'm Bishop, and we have a good number of questions for you. You're not from any street group or gang, yet you seem to be trained in hand-to-hand combat. In addition, you have a boy from the mafia and a girl from Group S in your club. Care to explain?"
He appeared to be in charge of all the members present, and was most likely a strategist. Almost instinctively, my attention was drawn to the almost-invisible bulge in his uniform and the way half of his palm remained in his left shirt pocket.
To get to know my opponent as quickly as possible, I figured that I should start off by surprising him. "I understand that this school does not adhere to civil rights or the laws of Japanese society, but you do know that firearms are prohibited on campus, right?"
But instead of displaying my intended effect of shock, he merely let out a low whistle. "Trained by Japanese special ops, I see. That's one hell of a club we have here."
It appeared that trying to gain a grasp on the situation through conversation would simply result in me giving our captors more information without gaining any in return. In that case, I would have to use observation and inference instead.
These people had three hostages and only two chairs to tie them to. Naturally, this was because Hikigaya-kun and I were unintended hostages. In contrast, Yuigahama-san's capture had been planned from the start, but who was the second chair for? Another Group S student? In that case, they were planning to lure out the higher-ups to this location, and the gun was for-
"You seem to have figured everything out on your own, so I'll tell you anyway," said Bishop. "Yes, we are intending to assassinate Hayama Hayato and there's nothing you can do about it."
"Lunatics," mumbled Hikigaya-kun. Rook snarled before slugging him in the face and he choked reflexively. Bile rose in my throat as Hikigaya-kun coughed out a sizeable volume of blood, but I kept my face impassive. There were more important things at stake here.
"Don't worry," Bishop said. He wore a mildly amused expression on his face at the sight of Hikigaya-kun's suffering, and somehow it was this seemingly insignificant gesture that sent a chill down my spine. "Once we topple this school's rotten system from the top, you'll be able to live normal lives again. No need to be Hayama's special undercover squad anymore. Isn't that a win-win for everyone?"
"You're misunderstanding something," I shot back. "We're doing this of our own free will."
I watched his expression as the gears calmly turned in his head. "Is there some sort of benefit from being at the bottom of the caste that I don't know about?"
"We're not trying to preserve this system," I hissed. "We're simply trying to live the lives we have." At this point, revealing that we were a rebellious organisation would be counterproductive. Even though this group's objectives matched ours somewhat, I could not foresee us joining forces at all.
Evidently he thought differently. "That's excellent, then!" he exclaimed, somehow managing to leave out all traces of surprise or excitement from his voice. "How about we cooperate? What we're doing is a crucial step towards a positive change, you know. With Ou-sama's guidance, we will be able to make this school normal again. Doesn't that sound appealing?"
"Funny," spat Hikigaya-kun. "I could've sworn I heard something about reforming the caste and establishing a new hierarchy-" His taunt was cut off by the repeated impact of Rook's fist to his solar plexus. I abruptly realised why Yuigahama-san had kept her mouth shut all this while.
"Well, it might go that way," said Bishop over the sound of Hikigaya-kun's pained coughing. "Honestly, nobody really knows what Ou-sama is thinking, but we serve him nonetheless. Rest assured that we won't forget your cooperation if you help us, though. Hierarchy or not, it's a good deal for you. Or are you restricted by a sense of Justice?"
I glared at him. "Something like that."
"Really? You seem awfully content with allowing things to stay the way they are, though."
I gritted my teeth. Although it pained me to hold my true intentions from this exceedingly annoying individual, there was nothing much I could do. "All I am saying is that I do not agree with your methods. No matter what atrocities he has committed, murdering a man is morally wrong by any definition."
"It is a pity," sighed Bishop, "that I will have to waste three extra bullets on your thick skulls."
The doors burst open. Like a lamb to the slaughter, Hayama Hayato had arrived with twenty or so security guards. For a brief moment, he caught Tobe Kakeru's eyes in an unreadable gaze.
Hayama Hayato stood at the pinnacle of Sobu High's campus, painstakingly hand-picking specialised individuals to stand by his side and investing abnormal amounts of time to cultivate their loyalty towards him. How would he react, I wondered, to being betrayed by one of his closest comrades despite all his efforts? Shock, anger, perhaps a pinch of regret?
But the gaze was broken as quickly as it was formed without so much as a twitch in Hayama-kun's facial muscles. Keeping a tight-lipped smile on his face, he stepped forward.
"I came to talk," was all he said.
"Is that so?" cackled Rook, picking up his bat and stepping away from Hikigaya-kun's panting form. "Come to the centre, and don't pull anything funny."
As Rook and Bishop both stepped towards the centre of the gymnasium and Tobe Kakeru nervously hovered in the shadows, I took the opportunity to sidle over to Hikigaya-kun's side.
"Are you alright?"
"Physically," he replied. "I'm sorry, Yukinoshita. I don't think I can stand up to these guys."
Clearly there was a psychological factor involved here; I had never seen him so downcast before. "I know they have the same objectives as us, but their methods are distasteful, not to mention unproductive," I tried. "In fact, I don't think they have even stopped to consider the possibility of a mastermind. Killing Hayama Hayato won't do anything for the school, you know that."
"It's not that,' he mumbled, maintaining his fetal position on the ground. "But I suppose you wouldn't understand."
The three adversaries had approached the centre of the gymnasium and seemed to be talking in semi-amiable tones. If not for the ring of students that formed to block the way of the security guards, it would have seemed like a completely civilised conversation. I needed to hurry.
"It doesn't matter if I understand or not," I said. "I need you to stop them. Now."
"I don't have a sense of justice or anything, you know," Hikigaya-kun continued. "I've just been trying to stick to my ideals."
"That's the same thing," I replied, allowing a fraction of my urgency to slip into my voice.
"Not when my ideals involve proving just how rotten humans are." Letting out a self-deprecating laugh, he curled up into a tighter ball. "It's been so... tiring, Yukinoshita."
"Stop whining," I snapped. At this point my voice was betraying the anxiety I felt, not that I cared anymore. "Get on your feet!"
"I haven't been concentrating, Yukinoshita. Even regarding all of... this. Our club activities. And here I let myself be beaten by a bunch of lunatics. I thought about it just now, y'know. And I think it's because I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing. Nothing to fight for."
"Hikigaya-kun, please. We can't let this happen."
Rook's killing intent flared like a blowtorch. Bishop's hand dipped into his shirt pocket.
"...I'm sorry, Yukinoshita."
"Hikigaya-kun!"
Thunderous gunfire filled the air.
[Yukinoshita Yukino, 19th June, 1740 hours]
Hayama Hayato stood amidst the cloud of smoke, shielding his face with one arm. There were two distinct metallic sounds as two bullets fell to the ground.
Thick silence filled the air for approximately three seconds before the security guards snapped into action. Chaotic screaming filled the air as the guards pushed and the crowd of students pushed back.
"A bulletproof vest?" murmured Bishop, sounding impressed. "You're more well-prepared than I thought."
"I try my best," replied Hayama-kun. A hint of fear mingled with the unreadable shadows on his face.
"Plan B, then," Bishop sighed. "Go on, I know you've been waiting for this."
Rook moved forward, grinning. Exhaling, Bishop reloaded his pistol.
I sighed in momentary relief. Hayama-kun's preparation had bought me some time, but there was no possibility that he would be able to deal with both adversaries and get out alive. What that meant was that I had half a minute more to convince my stubborn comrade.
"Hikki..." Yuigahama-san spoke for the first time in the entire exchange. I started; I had completely forgotten about her. "Hayato-kun is going to die. You don't want that, right? I can see you don't."
"I suppose not," he mumbled, staring blankly at the floor. "It doesn't matter, though. All I'll ever do is watch. I'm no different from them."
"How can you say all that so casually?" Yuigahama-san cried, moisture beginning to gather at the corners of her eyes. "I don't care how much you hate him! Hayato-kun is going to die!"
HIkigaya-kun broke his fetal position to give her a frustrated glare. "It's not like that. Alright? Stop whining. After this is all over I'll just stop this whole farce and give you back your normal lives-"
"I have no idea what you're talking about, but I refuse," I said. Hikigaya-kun's glare shifted to me, and I met it with full force. "This is not who you are, Hikigaya Hachiman."
Frantic gunshots rang in the background, punctuated by the occasional shockwave as Rook's metal bat slammed into the floor. Screams filled the air.
"What am I, then?" he snarled, sharply casting his gaze to the ground to conceal his expression. "You don't know a damn thing! Am I a pathetic student? A fearful excuse of a human being? An angry tyrant? Or would you rather call me a monster?"
"Again, I have no idea what you are talking about!" I snapped. "But if you want a purpose so badly, I'll give it to you."
I leaned in as far as my bondages would allow. "This is an order from the President of the Service Club. Settle this issue, or the club is disbanded."
For what seemed like minutes, Hikigaya-kun stared at me, his gaze unreadable. Then finally, he spoke up. "So. This is a do or die situation, huh? You're saying I will lose everything if I make the wrong decision."
"Yes. Was that enough to motivate you?"
A pause. Then: "Of course not."
My heart sank. Emotional appeal was not my forte, but this was an anomalous case where logical arguments would have no effect and I had no other choice. Nevertheless, it was natural that I would fail to convince him. I had failed.
...why, then, did Yuigahama-san look so triumphant?
"All you did was put me in a more troublesome situation. Things just never go my way, no matter how much I plan... " Hikigaya-kun grunted, easing himself into a sitting position. "But you know what? I'm sick of sitting around and watching as everything around me disappears. If things won't ever go my way, I'll make them. That's all there is to it."
His eyes were still the same cynical, rotten chips of diamond. Yet, burning in them was the unmistakable flame of resolve. I inwardly rebuked my heart for fluttering.
The bonds fell from his hands; he must have been untying them all this while, despite his inner turmoil. Exactly what I had been expecting him to do all along, I realised. He turned to me. "Thanks, Yukinoshita. For better or for worse, I'm back."
With the utterance of this incomprehensible line, Hikigaya Hachiman stood up.
[Hikigaya Hachiman, 19th June, 1745 hours]
Hayama visibly winced as the Rook slammed the grotesquely large metal bat into his left arm, gritting his teeth as bone cracked and sinew tore. Despite the obvious pain, he desperately ensured that his arms were still guarding his face as if his life depended on it. It did, in fact; Bishop had been relentlessly emptying magazine after magazine of bullets into his body, and any shot to the head would prove lethal.
It was more of a massacre than a fight at this point, I realised as I charged toward the centre of the gymnasium.
"Look who decided to join the party," sneered the Bishop, cocking the pistol in my direction. "Did Knight not tie you up securely enough-"
The average human's reaction time to visual stimulus is 0.25 seconds, which was why I made sure that he didn't see my bodyslam coming. As he stumbled back, I grabbed a fistful of his hair and dragged his head down sharply enough to connect my knee to his chin in one fluid motion.
Clean yet dirty. Clinical and ruthless. Just the way I liked it.
"He did," I shouted while preemptively sidestepping a bat swing from the Rook. "Just not carefully enough, apparently!"
"I see," hissed the Rook as his comrade crumpled in a soft heap. "The good ol' gimmick of jamming your fingers into the knots while they're being tied to loosen them, eh? You were awake the whole time, weren't ya."
"Couldn't have expected that taser to work on me," I shot back. I feinted a punch to his right, instead darting forward when he sidestepped instinctively to pick Hayama up and relocate him to the nearest wall. "You're welcome, by the way."
"I was a little confused when I got your text message," Hayama wheezed, clutching his mangled arm. "Asking me to do weird things like wear a bulletproof vest, not to mention there were so many grammatical mistakes..."
"Ah, shut it. I was typing it with my hands tied behind my back."
"So you were in cahoots, after all," the Rook snarled, baring his shark-like teeth. "Should've killed you when I had the chance!" I glanced back to see if Yukinoshita was overhearing the conversation, and my blood ran cold.
The Knight, formerly known as Tobe Kakeru and one of Hayama's trusted subordinates, was pressing his taser to Yuigahama's bare throat.
"Don't move," he stated with a voice as cold as ice. "You may have withstood the shock, but if I apply it to the right spots she will definitely die."
Yuigahama's tension was palpable from where I stood, not that I could fault her. She was fully aware that she was not valuable enough for either Yukinoshita or myself to risk our lives to save. Yet her posture was completely composed, almost as if she knew that we would save her.
What is this? Trust?
I froze. On one hand, Yuigahama's life was obviously at stake here, but any alternative could result in all our deaths anyway. The Rook was prepared to lunge at me in a matter of seconds, Yuigahama was more than twenty metres away from where I was standing, and Hayama was still leaning on the wall right next to me. Which one of the two was I willing to sacrifice? Calculations ran through my head...
No. There is a better way.
"Yukinoshita," I called. "I'm not losing anyone today. You understand, right?"
There sat Yukinoshita Yukino, restrained thoroughly, definitely unarmed and hopelessly outnumbered, with her defenseless clubmate on the verge of death just metres away. A chaotic scene of screaming students and merciless security guards surrounded her fragile-looking form. Objectively, there was nothing she could do.
But having faith in others goes beyond the level of calculation and inference, I realised. It calls for an unreasonable amount of trust and borders on the realm of irrationality, yet is the very concept that strengthens people beyond everything they could possibly believe. The power that had beaten me several times in the past few months... could I call on it, right here and now?
Just this once, Shiromeguri-senpai. Just this once, I'll listen to you.
"I'm counting on you," I said.
The woman whom all my hopes rested on didn't say a thing, didn't even flash a hint of agreement on her face. But the spark in her eyes was enough for me.
[Yukinoshita Yukino, 19th June, 1750 hours]
"Kakeru Tobe-kun," I said. "I will appreciate it greatly if you could let my clubmate go."
"No idea who you're talking to," he snapped, gritting his teeth. "My name is Knight."
Even the most unobservant bystander would have sensed his irritation. "No. No matter how much you run from your identity, Kakeru Tobe will always be a part of you."
"Shut up," he commanded, expression contorting.
"Knight, eh? Unrestrained, unpredictable, never staying in one place. A trump card that hides itself until the best possible moment. How much they've glorified you."
"One more word and she dies!" he shrieked. His hand trembled and the tip of the taser dug further into flesh. To her credit, Yuigahama-san's demeanour remained calm. Or perhaps she was frozen with fear?
"That is how your Ou-sama has viewed you," I continued. "And perhaps how Hayama Hayato viewed you too. That's why he barely reacted to your betrayal, right? He'd been expecting it all along."
"T-that's not true," he rasped. Yuigahama-san seemed to be forgotten at this point. "That guy... once you've gotten into his circle, he trusts you with his life. He's so easy, there's no way... there's no way..."
"How cute," I continued, internally promising myself to never use that word again. "You crave his affection even after betraying him? But I'll prove it to you. Press it."
Kakeru Tobe blinked, putting up an expression so lost I felt the urge to laugh. "...huh?"
"Your taser. Press the button."
Contrary to the shock and terror that I had been expecting Yuigahama-san to display, her facial expression remained completely blank. Could it be that she trusts me? To that extent?
Kakeru Tobe-kun studied my face desperately, and I could almost visualise the thoughts racing across his mind. What was this fragile-looking girl, restrained and helpless, trying to make him do? Was this reverse psychology? Multi-layered manipulation? A hopeless gamble?
"Go on," I said, smiling serenely. "Press the button."
A breath of dry air, harshly inhaled through quivering lips. An index finger twitched, then twitched more resolutely.
Bzzzt.
Yuigahama-san blinked. "...That wasn't so bad."
Kakeru Tobe-kun blinked.
Bzzzt. Bzzzzzzt.
I exhaled shakily. This gamble had been carefully calculated and I was nearly fully convinced of my hypothesis being true, but it was nerve wracking nonetheless. "It's a dud, isn't it? The combat equipment of all Group S students is provided by Hayama Hayato himself, and while it's true that you've never really had the need to use it until today, have you never considered it? That the weapon Hayama-kun gave you might have been faulty."
The tampered taser clattered to the ground as Kakeru Tobe, double agent and master of deception, stumbled back. "I... I never... I thought..."
I smirked. "When you allow somebody to put your trust in you, you are unwittingly putting your trust in him as well. Trusting him to trust you. But it looks like Hayama Hayato didn't trust you as much as you thought."
Bewilderment morphed into frustration as he picked his body up and forced it forward. Both his arms jerked, as if compelled by steel wires, to fasten themselves around Yuigahama-san's throat.
"I don't need the taser to kill her, anyway," he growled, uncertainty lacing his voice. "And I will, if you try to move!"
"You won't."
"Says who?"
"Hayama Hayato never trusted you to begin with, and you have started to question how different your Ou-sama is from him. A double agent is the member of the team that is trusted the least, isn't it? You never really cared about the ideals or values, but you craved attention and recognition from both your superiors like a spoiled child. Now that this is no longer a possibility, what do you have to fight for?"
I leaned forward as the defeated Knight felt his legs give out and collapsed onto his knees. "That man fighting in the middle of the gymnasium is one of the strongest people I know, but even he was unable to move just minutes ago. The lack of conviction is the deadliest wound any warrior can suffer, and by the looks of it, you will never fully recover."
I was physically bound and completely vulnerable. One of my clubmates was fighting for his life twenty metres away and the other was crying tears of shock right beside me. However, this was undoubtedly my victory.
[Hikigaya Hachiman, 19th June, 1750 hours]
The assassination had been prevented, two out of my three adversaries had been taken care of and security was handling most of the remaining resistance. The howling mass of muscle in front of me knew he was fighting a battle he could not win, but he continued to bare his fangs like a rabid hound.
Even though we've come this far, it feels like I'll lose everything if I let my guard down now...
Conflict between two street fighters is never pleasant. The Rook had clearly been trained by years of turf war experience to take out his opponents quickly and brutally, leaving no room for niceties like fair fighting or even proper fighting. Unlike my sparring sessions with Hayama, the general rule of thumb for fights like this was to deliver any hard object at hand to any of the opponent's weaknesses; in this case, these referred to the grotesquely large baseball bat and my abdomen respectively.
But those who view fights as purely physical are the ones that never emerge victorious. Steering clear of his irregular and ridiculously powerful swings, I gathered the remnants of breath in my lungs to engage in psychological warfare.
"Not bad, but your attacking range is restricted to the area your bat can cover!" I shouted, leaping back to avoid a blow that would have shattered my pelvis. "Did you learn nothing in your time on the streets? A more experienced fighter would have floored you already!"
"So you say, but you're just dodging!" he screamed. The bat stirred the air furiously, its unpredictable trajectories virtually indistinguishable to the naked eye.
Against a stronger opponent, every movement... no. Every twitch of every muscle must not be wasted. I steeled my vocal cords to project the most apathetic voice I could muster. "Whatever. Now that I've read your moves, I guess I'll end it now."
Everything had been done in preparation for this very moment; at this point, he was under the impression that I was overconfident and trying to finish the fight as quickly as possible. Throwing a quick feint to his right, I jammed all strength into my left foot when he reacted accordingly, pivoted anticlockwise to duck under his horizontal swing and raised my shoulder to slam into his torso...
I expected him to sacrifice his left hand to block the blow or at least attempt to dodge it. What I did not expect him to do was to grip his bat with both hands and spin around in a full circle to deliver a home run to my ribcage.
The dull impact between my body and the gymnasium wall registered before the pain did; streaks of pure white lightning that danced before my eyes and invaded my skull. There was a brief feeling of vertigo before gravity dropped my limp body onto the hard concrete floor. My muscles spasmed, refusing to heed my commands.
Ah, crap.
"Bastard," I croaked, mustering every last ounce of my energy to glance up. Thankfully, the security guards had evacuated Hayama's helpless body. "You were holding back your strength all this while, weren't you."
"I could say the same for you," he sneered. The bat was lifted up to rest upon his shoulder. "Suddenly lunging at me like that... caught me off guard, it did. Not to mention that shot should've killed you! You wouldn't happen to have some cheap trick up your sleeve, would ya?"
"Not my sleeve, per se," I grunted, easing myself into a sitting position. "My entire set of school uniform is bulletproof."
He whistled. "Well, aren't you something else. Custom-made uniform, eh? I see, I see. I dunno what you did to make yourself so special, but y'know. That doesn't matter."
"People like you really piss me off."
I smirked. "I figured. You won't gain anything from beating me here, and you know that. A fight between someone special and a grunt that nobody cares about? Undecided as the outcome may be, what happens afterward is set in stone. You can lose to me or brutally kill me; no matter what, I'll be the one who gets all the attention because there are a bunch of idiots who actually care about me."
"Let's end this already, shall we?"
My body was at its limit. If I took another hit, even if I were to be clipped by a single shot, my brain would undoubtedly sustain significant trauma and lapse into unconsciousness. With this in mind, I sprinted at my foe.
"Again with the dirty tricks," the Rook muttered. Shifting his feet and gripping his bat, he turned to face me in a swinging stance. "If you want to pull anything off, go ahead and try. I'll take you head on!"
His swing was definitely going to be straight. I could slide toward his left, maneuvering under his bat. Or perhaps darting to his right to reach his blind spot before he moved would be a better option. Ducking under his torso to strike at his legs would be a risky move, but would nullify all his chances of counterattacking. But the option that had the highest chance of success, I realised, would be to leap above his crouched figure as he swung to deliver a decisive blow to his head.
Just how strong is my resolve?
I went straight instead.
Perhaps he was surprised by my upfront assault. Perhaps the emotional attacks had worked on him. Either way, his swing came surprisingly slowly. Seizing the chance, I clung on to the bat as it impacted my ribcage for the second time in the past minute, ignoring the sparks of agony that danced across my vision as my bones screamed for mercy.
Not strong enough to beat two naive girls at my own game. Not strong enough to run my system without hesitation. Not even strong enough to save my sister. Not strong at all.
The force that would have otherwise thrown me against the gymnasium wall was nullified as I hooked my legs around the Rook's sturdy waist, upper body still desperately wrapped around his weapon and refusing to let go.
But strong enough to fight. Strong enough to do whatever the hell I want. I am as strong as I want to be!
What kind of face was I making in that moment? Funnily enough, that seemed to be the only lucid thought in my mind as I slammed my skull against his.
Fatigue, pain, adrenaline... a chaotic mixture of feeling drained me of almost all sense as both of us crumpled. "You know... I lied just now."
He strained against the bonds of unconsciousness. Futilely, of course. "About what...?"
Darkness closed in on my field of vision, and this time I welcomed it; my job was done. "...Being special, idiot."
[Yukinoshita Yukino, 19th June, 1830 hours]
"Kitamura Tadashi, class G."
In the aftermath of this huge incident, the school management was naturally trying to keep it under wraps. However, they had requested that every student involved be questioned, and naturally the one in charge of cleanup was an extremely bored Hiratsuka-sensei. The security guard who had been assigned to assist her was visibly nervous, not that he could be blamed; 'Hiratsuka-sensei' and 'bored' did not go well together.
"Naruto Uzumaki, class G."
"Ma'am? I'm pretty sure that's a Shounen Jump chara-"
"Shut up!" she snapped, flinging the stack of class lists she was holding into the air. "I haven't had my daily dose of manga, okay?" Cowed, the security guard meekly picked up the sheets of paper and referred to them himself.
Though the loose ends had been mostly resolved, some complications still remained. Rook, who had fallen into a coma from overexertion and Hikigaya-kun's merciless attack, had been rushed to the hospital; even the all-powerful school administration would have a hard time covering it up. There was the issue of Knight being a member of Group S, but Hayama-kun was currently seeing to that matter himself. And as one would probably expect, Bishop had escaped.
Not to mention, I had some leftover business to attend to. Leaving Hiratsuka-sensei and her flustered lackeys behind me, I headed for my final destination for the day.
Students from Group S exited the infirmary as I approached it, freshly dismissed from their emergency meeting. Surprisingly enough, Kakeru Tobe was among them, a sullen expression adorning his wearied face. After waiting for them to clear the hallway, I steeled myself and slid the door open.
His damaged right arm mummified in a cast, Hayama Hayato had been staring out of the window before my arrival. Upon my entry, he turned to face me with no trace of surprise on his face. Instinctively, he gave me a half-smile. "Yukinoshita-san."
"Good evening."
"I suppose you're here for your clubmate?" He gestured to the bed on the other side of the infirmary where Hikigaya-kun was lying unconscious. "I really have to apologise for all the trouble I put both of you through today."
"Your concern is much appreciated," I replied. "I noticed that Kakeru Tobe-kun has rejoined Group S?"
An expression of innocent surprise. "Ah, yes! You must find it strange..."
"Not at all. But to forgive him after he betrayed you once? Some would consider it unwise."
"Of course, of course. But... well. His organisation tried to kill me, and their most important members are still at large. One can never tell when they'll strike again, see? In a sense, I feel like keeping him close will be better for me."
"I see," I muttered. I had planned to keep my composure for the entire duration of the conversation, but it no longer seemed to be an option. "Keeping your enemies close. Could this the entire extent of your measly idea of 'friendship', perhaps?"
He seemed genuinely taken aback. "Did that make you angry? But why? O-of course, I valued Tobe-kun as a friend until he proved me wrong. But that's not really feasible now that-"
"Then get rid of him for good. I'm sure that was what he would have wanted, too. What I am frustrated by," I paused to catch my breath and glare at him with all the animosity I could muster, "is the way that you step over the people around you."
His smile had vanished. This was the way he had been expressing himself, even since elementary school; he smiled when he wanted others to think he was happy, and stopped smiling in any other situation. "Even so, is there a point to getting angry about it? It's none of your business, after all."
"Fine," I spat. "That wasn't the point of me coming here, anyway."
"What was, then?"
"I wanted to ask about the request you made to the Service Club. Was it really you who made the decision, or did someone else force your hand?"
[Yukinoshita Yukino, Date and Time Unspecified]
Picture this scene: Two boys and a girl, in the school infirmary at sunset. The girl with the spiteful eyes triumphantly raises an accusing finger to condemn her sworn enemy. The boy with the mangled arm raises his tired eyes to meet hers. She knows that her suspicions are right. He knows that there is no escape. Yet there is an unseen compulsion: a sort of gravity that exists within his mind that forces his mouth shut and smoothens the creases on his face.
He ignores the accusation. He diverts his exhausted eyes from the girl's accusing finger to the form of the sleeping boy on the infirmary bed. The boy that lives at the bottom of the school caste. The boy that fights for justice. The boy that this girl trusts with her life.
Although I did not know it then, this scene was the perfect picture of irony.
But in that very moment, I could only watch, confused, as Hayama Hayato threw back his head in unpleasantly resigned laughter.
[Hikigaya Hachiman, 19th June, 1900 hours]
Specks of light flooded my vision as I forced my eyelids open. Judging by the texture and colour of the ceiling, I was in the infirmary. How long have I been out for...?
Yukinoshita was sitting by my bedside, perusing a book. She had a worried frown on her face. Concern for a clubmate? Or perhaps something more sinister? Like a natural, she smoothed out her troubled expression as soon as she noticed my consciousness.
"Oh? Looks like the man who was too incompetent to best a thug without getting taken down has woken up."
"Yo," I croaked. "Did I miss anything?"
"Nothing important."
I see... not willing to tell me, huh? This game of deception is a truly frightening one. Come to think of it, under all the pretense of being my comrade, exactly how much did Yukinoshita trust me? I had no idea how many slip-ups I had already made, or how close she was to blowing my cover. Yet regardless of our suspicions of each other, we would continue through our daily noncommittal interactions, just waiting for the perfect moment to stab each other in the back.
But... does that matter?
A reader of my caliber is capable of reading in between the lines. The one regretfully large disadvantage this brings, however, is that he fails to read the text itself. When trying to understand why an author writes the way he does, one inevitably fails to appreciate exactly what he is writing. Perhaps what I needed to do was to take a good look at what I could see instead of lingering on baseless assumptions.
Was this a form of trust too?
"I must say, though," Yukinoshita continued with a playful smile (as playful as Yukinoshita Yukino could get, anyway), "you have disappointed me once again, Hikigaya-kun."
Whatever doubts she may have had were unimportant to her in that moment, I realised. Above all, her smile seemed genuine enough.
"Sorry," I mumbled. "In terms of fighting skill, those guys were way out of my leag-"
"Not that. I am referring to your attitude. You wake up to an attractive young woman by your bedside, and the first thing you do is ask about work?"
"...huh?"
"I was joking earlier when I mentioned a re-evaluation of your sexual orientation, but I may have to seriously consider the possibility."
"Seriously, what are you saying!?"
Picture this scene: A boy and a girl, fresh from battle, laughing and bantering as if nothing has happened and nothing will.
I was not such a shallow person to think that all was right in the world, but perhaps this was the closest it could get.
Author's note: Alright I know this update took an unnecessarily long time to happen, but I didn't want to split this chapter into two. The next few chapters will be short, I swear. :')