Sorry for the long wait, had some things that occupied my mind. Either way if you don't remember the previous chapters I would recommend just speed reading them again to recall everything. Unfortunately this chapter isn't any longer than the previous ones, though I had promised Aqua-chan to do better this time :( I hope you won't hate me for it.

Either way, I found a great novel recently. I encourage it to everybody. Namely grimgar. Google it and find out if there is a chance you'd enjoy reading it.


A (not so) small change in one's life.

Chapter 5


Where were we? Ah… Right. A visitor, it seems.

*Knock Knock*

A sly fox entered the room. I did not even need to cock my head to see her mischievous smile. I sighed.

"Yahallo, Yukinoshita-san, Yuigahama-san. Yahallo, Senpai."

"Good afternoon, Ishiki-san."

"Yahallo."

"Yo."

As I exchanged the greetings I took out a novel and began to read it.

Ishiki slowly walked to the table and then sat down in front of Yuigahama. She put her head on the table and started to talk hastily.

I could not bother listening to her and even if I did I would not be able to do so. She was fast.

I only saw little signs of annoyance on Yukinoshita's face, though I guess they might have as well been caused by my rebuttal.

So instead of trying to grasp something of her talking I simply turned the page I was reading and focused on the new one. Unfortunately, the book I was currently reading was rather boring. So, willingly or not I had to pay attention to their talk.

Yukinoshita as always or even more than usually was being rather composed and quiet, from time to time giving something from herself to the conversation. Mostly laconic, but also in a way beautiful sentences.

Yuigahama was behaving just as anyone would expect of her. Nothing out of ordinary here.

Iroha on the other hand seemed to be rather nervous. Her voice was trembling from time to time and her way of talking was much more chaotic than what we've all grown accustomed to. This alone was not something for me to be worried about, yet I was feeling uneasiness. Though I like to call me self-aware I could not really think of a reason of this disquiet, I tried earnestly to figure out the cause of it, but my efforts were futile.

And then Iroha stopped contributing to the conversation and Yuigahama was left alone as the one keeping the talk alive. However even though it was Yuigahama, when left alone could not really speak all the time without other's input. Eventually it was also the time for Yuigahama to become silent.

An awkward hush emerged.

Why is it that this silence feels so uncomfortable? What is wrong with this room? Why is it so nerve-wracking?

All these thoughts were running wild through my mind. I looked over the room. It seemed that everyone was concerned about the unpleasant silence. One minute passed and then another and I did not really realize, but it was finally time to go home.

To be precise it was not. Normally I would still be reading for another ten minutes or even twenty, but this time the atmosphere did not really encourage me to stay in the clubroom for another ten minutes, so I decided to just stand up. As I did so three pair of eyes focused on me.

"I guess I am going now."

The three of them said something in return. Be it a Good Bye, See ya or Later. It did not really matter.

I closed the door and left the clubroom behind me.

I let out a sigh and proceeded to walk down the hallway.

As I was changing my shoes someone approached me. It was Ishiki.

"Senpai." she said with a subtle smile on her face.

This was something weird. The word subtle. That's right. Never would I use the word subtle to describe her smile, but this time it really was like it. This time she looked like a honest underclassman, not like a cunning fox.

"Why are you here?" I asked.

"I am heading home too, so why don't we talk a bit outside?" I could not really understand the connection between these two things, but well…

"Sure" Of course I was a tad reluctant, but what else could I possibly say?

I watched silently as she changed her shoes and then grabbed her umbrella. What piqued my curiosity was the fact that it was not a bit gaudy. In fact it was plain black.

She must have noticed my astonishment.

"I have lost somewhere my own and this one is my father's. That's why."
I nodded.

"So, shall we?" I asked. She simply hummed and went out first. It was not raining, thanks god it was not. Sure, rain is much better than heat. If there is rain then there is rarely a crowd. You are not expected to go out somewhere when it is raining. Rain is cool actually, as long as I am lying on my bed in my realm. Eh… My bed…

I followed her suit and was just going a few steps behind her. She stopped.

"Senpai!" she said quietly.

She was holding her skirt with her tiny fists and her gaze was fixed to the ground. She then looked up and our eyes met.

"Senpai, what were you doing on Saturday?" she inquired with a tenuous voice. Is it just me or are her eyes moist?

"Nothing particular, what could I do?" I replied instantly, automatically without any thought. It was a natural answer for me. What could I do? I never do anything.

"I am quite sure you were doing something." she said this time with a more demanding voice.

I did not want to lie to her and even more so I did not want her to discover my going to the gym. I had already rough time with the fact that Kawasaki knew it, but eh… Nothing I could do now with it.

"..."

"Why won't you tell me?" this time she stepped towards me. I made a step back.

"Say? What would a loner do on Saturday? " She moved again forwards and I made one step back again. At least that was what I wanted to do, but I could not, because of a fence that was behind me.

She lowered her voice. Still there was a beautiful smile fixed to her face. It was damn scary.

"Why are you playing dumb? I saw you." I gulped.

"Saw me what?"

"I saw you with Kawasaki-senpai. I saw you back then and today, when I needed you to do something for me, I saw you again with her chatting like two…" she stopped. Her eyes were red and I could see tears falling down any second. I had to do something.

"I just happened to bump into her on Saturday and today she wanted to thank me for helping her out at that time. Nothing more than this."

I felt pathetic I ended up confessing everything, well, almost everything without any hesitation. Girls are scary. If they need something they can be damn scary and what is most frightening of it is the fact that they end up getting what they wanted.

Her face lit up. There was no trace of her former state.

"Is that so?" She said with a cheerful smile. Her eyes were beaming with glee. I on the other hand could see another message behind this sweet play. 'I hope you don't do something as stupid as lying to me.'

"Yeah, that's right." I said reassuringly.

"That's fine then, don't forget that you have to take responsibility for your words…" I gulped.

She stepped forward now being very close to me. I could feel her warmth. I could smell a sweet fragrance of her shampoo. I could feel her breath on my skin. Her lips being dangerously close to mine. My heart started beating crazily.

"So, why don't we…" She started with a mesmerizing voice. I could not move. I found myself paralyzed.

"Yahallo Hikigaya-kun." These two words saved me. Ishiki slowly backed out. I could see a noticeable annoyance and disappointment. She then turned her head toward the origin of the voice.

"Yahallo Iroha-chan." There she was, it seems I was saved by the devil itself. Haruno Yukinoshita. Still with Iroha not being so close to me I could regain my composure.

"Yo." I said as nonchalantly as I could.

"Yahallo." It was unbelievable how fast could Iroha mask her annoyance with another smile.

It did seem like she could not be happier because of seeing Haruno right now. I on the other hand doubted that my face was beaming with excitement. After all I was saved by Haruno and one should always be careful around that woman.

"Hikigaya-kun you little casanova…" Haruno said with a giggle.

"I feel sad for Yukino-chan, but what's more important you shouldn't be behaving this way just a few meters from the school entrance." She continued.

"So, what were you two talking about, my two sweet kouhais?"

She then moved to Ishiki. It seemed as if a lion was creeping towards a meek fox. While both hunters and predators you could obviously see which one was standing higher in the ladder of animals. Ishiki twitched.

"So, were you trying to snatch Hikigaya-kun from my cute sister?"

"Uh.. No way…" Iroha said and covered her own fright with a loud laughter. Iroha can be scary, but her being afraid of someone is disturbing in its own way.

Haruno then turned to me.

"Why don't we take a walk, Hikigaya-kun? While we are in the open please refrain from making any moves towards me." She winked.

"Like hell I would." I answered coldly.

"Cold as ever." Haruno laughed once again.

"Iroha-chan, you wanna go with us for a walk or do you have some plans by any chance?"
Is it me or did it sound like an order?

"Yeah, I think I have something to do, I mean I have to do something. I guess I'll be going now."

"Bye, Iroha-chan."

"Bye, Haruno-senpai, bye Senpai."

"See ya."

And just like this she was gone. I was a tad relieved but at the same time I was wondering whether I just got out of the frying pan into the fire. Eh…

"So shall we, Hikigaya-kun." Haruno said strongly accenting the kun suffix.

"I guess so." I sighed concedingly. I took a one last look at Iroha going in the opposite direction and then started to walk. What was with Iroha today? I can not get my head around it.

We walked slowly in the same direction my home was. We did not talk. It was weird in its own way for Haruno to be silent. She no longer had her gleeful mask on and now was somehow melancholic.

"You know." She started.

"Huh?"

"I think you should be careful with Iroha-chan." she said with a sad voice?

What does it mean? I have to be careful with Iroha? Why? Is Iroha fragile or delicate? And why would Haruno know any of this?

"What do you mean?" I inquired.

"Just what it sounds like. Be careful. Don't do anything stupid or rash. Just a piece of advice from a beautiful onee-san for you." She smiled this time.

"So, it seems Yukino-chan won't … sen … gain?" She said quietly and I could not really hear the end of the sentence.

"Anyways, what are your plans, Hikigaya-kun?" she demanded.

"My plans? Why?"

"I mean are you free now, I'd like to have a longer talk with you and in a place where we can talk without any problem. Oh. There is a cafeteria I know. They have great cakes there. So, let's go." She said and was just about to cross the street, but I did not move.

"Weren't you asking if I had any plans?" I retorted.

"My, my. Do you?" She said with a mischievous smile.

"I really doubt it, but please surprise me. You're always full of surprises, after all."

"Well, it doesn't matter. I just might not want to go somewhere now." After my rebuttal with Yukinoshita it seems my courage has grown significantly.

"If you don't have any plans it would be a great sin for you to decline such an offer." She closed the distance between me and her. She grasped my hand.

"It's not everyday when you can go with a beautiful oneesan on a... "

"Date? Would it be a date? My, my. I hope Yukino-chan wouldn't discover it." She said impishly.

I tried to resist, but it was futile. She just took my hand and forced me to walk with her.

But then I heard it.

"Hachiman, where are you going?"

Haruno stopped, so did I. We searched for the owner of the voice. A few meters apart from us stood a rather well built lad carrying a black bag. The most distinguishable feature of his were his eyes. A mixture of blue and green. You do not see often people with such pupils. Once again it struck me. He seemed to be tired. Tired or bored, which is it? By tired I do not mean fatigued or exhausted, but I don't know… Something was telling me that he was merely sleeping. He was not focused on anything, he was standing as if he had no other choice.

"I thought we agreed both that we would meet at your school, but here you are going somewhere without telling me anything. Isn't it rather uncurtious?"

I suddenly had a flashback. A familiar scene, but instead of me and Haruno there was Yuigahama and Miura and instead of Reiji it was Yukinoshita.

"Hehe. I am sorry."

Haruno was astonished. I guess she would not ever think of the chance that I had a friend and that we were going to do something after my school. Well, actually it was true. I did not have a friend and I was not going anywhere. I just followed Reiji's suit and choose the route I found best for my future. The one where I would escape Haruno.

"I didn't know you had an appointment. Excuse me then, Hikigaya-kun. By the way, my name is Haruno Yukinoshita. You are?" It seems she wanted to gain any information that could be obtained.

"My name is Reiji Azuma. Nice to meet you." He said with a perfect smile. It seemed too perfect to be true. Actually as I thought about it I found it to be a forced one.

"Nice to meet another friend of Hikigaya-kun. It's my pleasure too." She was examining Reiji and he was just standing idly. I guess little did he know about the most scary women one could ever get to know.

"I would be more than glad to get to know you better, but it seems we are rather in a hurry, aren't we, Hachiman?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"If you don't mind Yukinoshita-san then we will take our leave." He said without any flinch. It seemed as if he was used to these kind of talks.

"I see. Goodbye then, Azuma-san."

"Bye, Hikigaya-kun."

"Goodbye, Yukinoshita-san."

"Bye, Yukinoshita-san."

It seemed I was saved once again. Soon we parted our ways and I was left alone with Reiji.

...

...

"So, who is this woman?" Reiji started the conversation.

"Ah, that was a sister of my club-mate."

"Is that so? She seems to be a rather... How do I put it?"

"Dangerous one? I think that's the word. She is just putting an ac, so that her fangs and claws are not to be seen... If I were you I would be careful with her."

"No need to tell me that. By the way, why would you do it?"

"What?"

"You lied to her, we didn't have an appointment."

"Ah… that. I happened to be there and then I saw you."

"I did hear a little bit and it seemed as if you were having problems, so I took the initiative and did what I did. Was my interference unwelcome?"

"No, no. Really. You actually saved me. Thanks."

I could not really understand why, but somehow I found him easy to talk. He was not the type to talk much even though one could see him as a Riajuu.

"So, what now?" I asked.

"I am going to the gym right now. You?"

"Home."

We did not talk really much after that. Neither Reiji nor I were the types to chat aimlessly. We continued to walk in silence until we reached my home.

"That's here. That's my house." I said.

He nodded.

"Are you gonna go to the gym again this weekend?" He asked nonchalantly.

"To be honest I don't know. I don't feel like wasting my money." I explained my point of view and he then smiled.

"Well, just so you know. During the weekends the ones who have a membership can bring with them a person for free. So, you may go with me if you want. No pressure, though. Do as you want."

"Well, that seems to be an option, but I can't tell yet."

He nodded once again.

"Okay, so let's do it this way. I'll give you my number and then if you feel like going on Saturday morning text me on Friday and I'll tell you the hour I'll be going to the gym."

He gave me his number.

"So, see ya." He said and walked off.

I then walked into my house being totally exhausted after such a tiresome day.


That was the 5th chapter. I guess we're in the middle of the first part. How did you like it? Did you find any errors or parts that could be phrased better? If so, please write a review and let me know. The plot is slowly progressing. What do you think , who will Hachiman end up with? :) Will he end up with someone at all? Thanks for all the support you guys gave me and sorry for the very long absence, but such is the life.

My way of writing might have changed slightly. To those of you who have noticed it please tell me if it is a good direction.

Last, but not least. Is my avatar even recognizable? I mean I've showed it to someone not familiar with the series and he couldn't figure what it was meant to be. D: I am frightened that it's only me who actually can see it as anything but some vague white shapes on a grey background...