Chapter 3 : Subsiding Rainfall
"Hey, Yukinoshita…" I verbally beckoned her.
She silently turns towards my direction while releasing a questioning hum. The steady buzz of raindrops suddenly seemed to have audibly dilated for a moment. I put down the teacup and partially closed the light novel I was holding with my fingers.
"..You remember the conversation we had about that Murakami book a few days ago?"
"..Yes," she answers, clearly not knowing what to anticipate.
"I got myself a copy just recently and… I had the chance to go through it yesterday."
"Ohh," she puts down in her novel partly while her face slowly takes on an all-to-familiar expression and continues - "You actually took my recommendation into consideration, Hikigaya-kun. I, for sure, thought it was a rhetorical question back then." She replies with a smug undertone that doesn't escape me. My eyebrows twitch slightly, irritation apparent.
"As I told you many times before, Yukinoshita, I don't read only light novels."
"Sure, Hikigaya-kun. I'll keep that in mind." She smiles a little before continuing - "So, what are your thoughts regarding it?"
"Ah yeah.. I definitely think it is a good read," I involuntarily break eye contact with her and focus on the dribbling raindrops on the windows, "I didn't like the protagonist much but other than that I have come to agree with whatever you said about it that day."
Noticing my shift in focus, she does the same and turns to see the blurry view that dimly illuminated the room. "I see…"- she comments with an equally dampened voice.
"It was raining much the same way that day too."
"..Yeah," I replied, waiting for her to continue speaking when the school bell started to ring. It broke my train of thoughts for a second.
I mentally confirmed that I had brought my umbrella today after seeing the weather news. I took a quick look at my bag to check it once again. With an unnoticeable sigh of relief, I directed my gaze back to see that Yukinoshita was still looking outside the window, seemingly unfazed.
"Did you bring your umbrella, Yukinoshita?"
"..Yes, I've brought my umbrella today," she turns towards me, "But I will stay here for another hour to wait out the rain. It was forecasted that it'll be subsided by then."
"Oh, is that so?" I involuntarily took out my mobile to check the same.
"What about you, Hikigaya-kun?"
"Yeah, I've brought mine too…" Confirming what she said was valid, I continued, "...You know, I'll accompany you here since I have got nothing important to do anyways." It is a real pain to walk back home while it's raining even with an umbrella, so it certainly seems better to just wait it out if it's just an hour.
I didn't receive a reply. I glance in her direction to be greeted by her silently looking at me with an unreadable expression. Then it dawned on me, the implication of what I just put forward. I voluntarily suggested that I spend more time with her. Caught off-guard by the sudden embarrassment and not knowing what to say, I looked away. Eagerly waiting for her to say something; I slowly opened the light novel in my hand while trying to look not too perturbed. Heaving a gentle sigh, she stood up slowly keeping her novel away- "In that case, would you like another cup of tea then?"
"..That would be much appreciated."
A slightly repressed chuckle made its presence known. I brought the book close to my face and held back a defeated sigh. I need to start thinking twice before speaking- I mentally make a note. The pitter-patter of the downpour drowned out the sounds of the electric kettle. I switched the lights on and calmly waited while Yukinoshita was preparing tea in the background.
The murmurs of students decline as the street lights take the place of the setting sun to provide the much needed illumination outside. Far off noises from vehicles and muffled footsteps down the school corridors grow over the stagnant quietness. I lost track of what was happening in the light novel I was reading before - I flipped back a couple pages to refresh my memory.
*bzzzt*~~*bzzzt*~~
Yukinoshita's mobile started to ring while she was about to finish making the tea. Keeping the kettle back on the table she took out the mobile from her bag. I presumed she would walk out the clubroom as she usually does. But she didn't. Instead she took a quick peek at the caller and received the call immediately after.
"Hello?... Ah yes, Yuigahama-san. What happened?"
Slightly confused, I voluntarily tried to drown out the conversation by pouring more of my focus on the novel, but as expected, I failed.
"Ahh Yukkinonn~, Yumiko and I are about to go home. Are you still in the clubroom? Would you like to come with us?"
I was able to hear Yuigahama's voice as well. I mean, that's a given based on how silent the surroundings have become. Which begs the question, why would Yukinoshita decide to receive a call in front of me when this is clearly apparent?
I immediately remember the incident that happened regarding her sister a few days ago. Suddenly, it all makes sense. I mentally facepalm myself in remnant embarrassment.
"Yes, Yuigahama-san, I'm still in the clubroom. How did you perform in your retake test?"
"A-A-Ahh y-yeah. I guess it went w-well, Yukinon. Yumiko says it was wayy easier compared to before-
*static background noises*
"-Y-you know l-let's not talk about the test now, Yukinon. So are you coming with us?"
Ah, so Miura was also held back, huh. Regardless, I at least pretended to show that I'm not actively listening.
"Ah, about that, Yuigahama-san"- from my peripheral sight I caught Yukinoshita briefly glancing at me before continuing. "'I've decided to wait out the rain. You two go on ahead without me."
"Ah, is that so? Okay then, let's go Yumiko. (pause) By the way, is Hikki there with you, Yukinon?"
With a choke-full smug aura, Yukinoshita now directs a well-intentioned sideway gaze before responding-
"Yes, Yuigahama-san. He decided to stay back since he said he has nothing else to do." She adds insult to the injury by bringing her hand to cover her obvious smirk - "As you would have expected of him."
In response, I gave her my most irritated look I've had all day. She brushes it off, totally unfazed. I release a sigh and just turn away gritting my teeth in simmering awkwardness.
"(chuckles) Then oookay, Yukinon. See you later~"
"Bye, Yuigahama-san."
She returns to finally finish making the tea. I was too preoccupied with my thoughts to notice when she came by my desk to refill my cup. I still felt the smug haughtiness she so effortlessly embodies while she elegantly emptied the kettle onto the cup. I did not make direct eye-contact with her for obvious reasons and muttered a muffled thank you that might've gone unheard.
She went back to her seat and continued to do what she always does. The buzz of raindrops against the leaves and the window pane slowly reduced in intensity. The silence grew as a result only ever replaced by occasional sips and a few page turns. This went on for some while. I eventually finished drinking the tea and slowly settled back into my chair while trying to re-read the same paragraph that I've been trying to get past for what seems like an eternity. I release a small sigh and decided to just skip the damn thing when-
"You know, Hikigaya-kun…" Yukinoshita breaks the silence, "You.. have been behaving quite.. differently for the past few days…"
I look up while giving out a questioning hum, thoroughly caught off-guard once again. In the corner of my mind, I decided it was futile to continue trying to read the light novel for today. So I closed the book and focused on what the club president was trying to convey.
Adjusting her strands and donning what I classify as a complicated expression she continues, "You are much more.. honest than you usually were. I'm curious as to what brought this change?"
The raindrops, while less in intensity, now made non-sequitur clicks while dropping against the leaves, which stood out more compared to the muffled buzz of before. The sounds of increasing traffic was quite apparent even from the faint indicators of their presence in our silent clubroom. I took in a particularly raspy breath of air in and breathed out in a fashion that suggests that I'm deep in thought. Contrary to what it might 'seem', my mind was actually blank. While I think what Yukinoshita is addressing is valid (even I noticed it), I don't have a defined reason for executing such courses of actions that apparently conveyed 'honesty' to my dear interlocutor. What a strange word. What a strange word, indeed.
Yukinoshita, ever the curious clubmate of mine, eyes me just like a cat. Waiting for my response, patiently. She widens her eyes momentarily while imperceptibly nudging me to spit out a response with her subtle facial nuances.
"Hmm…" I go silent as soon as I try to break it. For some reason, my conversations with Hiratsuka-sensei in the late second year are flooding my mind at the moment. The ramen 'dates' that we occasionally go on get weirdly philosophical sometimes. And I seem to remember talking about this funny word 'honesty' with her during that time. I don't remember the specifics of the conversation but I do remember her insisting that 'being honest gets easier the more one gives into it' - or something along the same lines.
"I… don't particularly have a 'reason', Yukinoshita... I never gave it much thought until you mentioned it now actually.."
"..That's an interesting answer, to say the least." She smiles. More to herself than to what I just uttered. Closing her eyes elegantly she continues - "Seems like waiting for the rain to subside turned out to be a good idea, Hikigaya-kun." She gets up slowly while adjusting her skirt and straightening out her blazer. "Let's call it a day today, shall we?" She turns to me, expecting an answer to what can be only said as a pinnacle of rhetorical questions.
"..Y-yeah" I respond still in trance of what just transpired. This girl has developed a weird habit of acting severely out of character these days, in a sense that- it is getting difficult to make out what she is thinking even for 'me', who has been observing her for more than a year…
O-okay, t-that.. was a weird statement in all accounts-
…I release a sigh. This is going to go nowhere. Trying to comprehend every little aspect of what this curious ravenette does is taking a toll on my already exhausted mind. I stand up slowly and start to pack my things. The rain has reduced considerably and I'm relieved that the walk back home will not be as cumbersome as it could've been.
Yukinoshita leaves the clubroom to wash out the teacups before leaving. I check out my phone while I wait for her to return. Komachi has sent a text inquiring about my present location. I message her about what happened and she cheekily sends in a request to bring in some groceries while on the way. Today is her turn to make dinner which I'm sure she had almost forgotten. Shaking my head internally at how my sister is turning out to be, I send in a defeated affirmation and submit myself mentally for doing the errand.
After Yukinoshita returns, we exit the clubroom together. Just when she was about to finish locking the door-
"Well, well~ If it isn't my favorite set of students enjoying their alone time together~~"
Hiratsuka-sensei interrupts the pleasant silence that was present between us for a brief while. She seems to be particularly insistent on teasing us whenever she catches us together. This is a new development in how she irritates us that I find particularly difficult to understand the reason behind.
Sipping a can of Black Coffee, sensei dons a playful smirk while her other hand rests on her hips. The all-to-familiar labcoat should've been easy to spot but she somehow managed to catch us off-guard. I release a sigh involuntarily reminiscing the days where I wasn't caught off guard at least once every hour.
"H-hiratsuka-sensei…" Yukinoshita also seemed to have been caught off-guard. She directs a gaze that betrays none of her irritation and the haughty undertone in her speech is upped several degrees as she counters sensei - "It seems redundant to correct you everytime, Hiratsuka-sensei. I was planning on coming to your office to return the keys, but seeing as you are here anyways-"
Yukinoshita politely returns the key and turns away from Hiratsuka-sensei and starts walking off-
"Come on, Hikigaya-kun, let's go."
"..U-uh y-yeah." I directed a polite bow towards sensei and decided to go along with Yukinoshita. The confusion on my face should be apparent, it seems, as Hiratsuka takes one look at me and her smirk widens-
"You should go Hikigaya, it seems Yukinoshita doesn't like it when I interrupt your time together~~"
She utters those words particularly loudly and one could feel the irritation that is growing inside Yukinoshita as her footsteps get progressively louder.
Not wanting any part in this messy drama, I just walk towards Yukinoshita while heaving sighs for no particular reason…
Drowning out the sound of sensei laughing in the background, I focus my attention on Yukinoshita who seems to be single mindedly focused on making it out of school as fast as possible. Her long strands of hair flow as she hastens down the steps. I was not able to see her face throughout all this, and it was like that until we reached the gate.
"Well, see you tomorrow, Hikigaya-kun."
She brings up her hand and waves slightly. I gave a strong nod while mimicking the same.
It did not escape me how erubescent her facial features were as she turned away from me and slowly walked away. I stood there watching the diminishing silhouette of our club president as the calm embarrassment slowly warms me up too. After a while, I started walking back thinking how warm it was despite raining so much.
A/N
This particular chapter took many rewrites before I was finally satisfied with it. Hope it pleases everyone the same way it did to me. Do review and be sure to enjoy the chapter.