Chapter 8: Schemes

Yui had switched into an oversized red T-shirt, long enough to double as a skirt. Hikigaya knew that she had had sleepovers with Yukino before. Did she have clothing stashed away here or was that T-shirt Yukino's?

"'Hikki'."

"Yes?"

"No, I mean, she calls you 'Hikki' now. I've overheard it. So things are going smoothly?"

"It's 'Hikki' and 'Yukino', yes. She calls you 'Yui' now."

"So…?"

"Of course. 'Yui'."

"Much better." She smiled and sat down next to him. "It's easier to talk about some things when you don't see each other's faces, you know."

"I understand."

She sat close enough for him to smell her still wet hair. It was a confusing mixture of Yukino and Yui tones. Probably Yukino's shampoo.

"So what did she tell you? About what happened in the Himalayas or at the North Pole?" She giggled. "I guess not."

Whatever it was with the Himalayas, you wouldn't find in on Wikipedia, Hachiman was quite sure.

"No."

"It's just a joke. Forget about it."

His eyes wouldn't stop wandering sidewards, downwards, to her legs. And it wasn't even as if her large T-shirt revealed more of them than her school uniform. Then again, she would wear socks and shoes with her school uniform.

"Yukino told me you were very unhappy with the state of the club," he slowly began. "Suffering."

"Unhappy, yeah. I wanted it to be over, you know. That 'state of the club'."

"Is there anything I could have done better?"

"Fall in love with me?" she answered, half-joking. "Or fall in love with her."

"I am sorry, Yui, but..."

"No, I understand. You didn't want to choose a girl and all that. I was too pushy. Trying to force you to choose."

"Yukino said," he began, "we all should just start over as friends. Would you like that?

"No," she answered decidedly, "that wouldn't work."

That threw him off. "But that's what Yukino wants," he repeated, unsure how to proceed.

"No. If she wants to go on like this then I'd rather fight. Even if I lose, maybe. I can cope. I'm tougher than Yukino thinks."

"Fight for me?"

"Or for Yukino, you know? She loves me, I think..."

That threw him off again.

"She did tell you," Yui went on, hesitantly, "about the both of us, right? Me and her?"

"Is it 'the both of us' already?" Hachiman wanted to know.

"No, no, I mean, that she's... that she has also… That it would be a possibility."

"Yes. She told me."

Yui sighed. "I'm relieved then."

"Why do you think she loves you?"

"Oh, she told me, I think. She has weird ways to do that..."

"That way."

"Oh yes, that way. There, at least, is no doubt."

"Is there anything else I need to know?"

"Did she tell you about 'everything' then? Quote everything unquote," she clarified.

"The 'everything' you wanted?" Hachiman guessed. "The aquarium?"

"So she did tell you."

"No, we talked about it earlier. In the kitchen."

"So you remember. I wanted to make you my boyfriend while keeping her as a friend. That's what Yukinon understood. What did you understand, Hikki?"

"Something like that, yes. But that interpretation doesn't make sense anymore, right? As 'everything...'"

"Go on..."

"I think I get you now. But back then you didn't want to be understood, right?"

She leaned against him for a few heartbeats. "You're smart, Hikki. You both are. It's scary. I need to be more careful when playing these games. Slipping things in."

He turned his face to her. "May I ask you something? How long have you been in..."

"Oh, since before I joined the club, you know. Since the accident. You didn't know?"

"No, with Yukino, I mean."

She looked at him. "So you don't think I throw around the word too casually?"

He looked away again. "I guess you honestly use that word like you think that word should be used."

"Fair enough."

"I can't look into your head, though."

"No. Anyway, your question. I'm not sure. Remember when we both were crying together? After you asked for our help? That was when I knew. But it happened earlier, I think. What did Yukinon tell you exactly, by the way? That 'let's all be friends'..."

"She asked me to help her save the club. A new code of conduct..."

"The 'rules' you mean?"

"Yes. Rules."

"Can we talk about Yukinon and you for a second?"

"Can we not talk about Yukino and me?"

"Okay. Can we instead talk about you and me then? It's that why she's now taking a bath? So we can talk about you and me?"

"That's kinda what she said..." he admitted.

"Well then, Hikki, I have a question."

"Yes," he encouraged her.

"What exactly am I to you?"

The following wouldn't become easy, he feared. "What exactly…"

"Am I a friend?"

"Surely."

"Like Zaimokuza? He's also your friend."

"More than a friend."

"Like Komachi then? Komachi is also more than a friend."

"No, I don't see you like a sister, if you mean that. A different 'more than a friend'."

"Does it feel bad being loved by me?"

"It had been better for the club..."

"I'm not asking if you think it had been better for the club. Does it feel bad? Or good?"

Her questions were getting harder and he'd rather avoid telling lies. "It doesn't feel bad."

"But it's bad for the club, hm? What is so important about the club?"

Hard.

"Say if I find somebody else..." Yui went on.

"Yukino, you mean."

"No, let's say not Yukinon. Not taking away Yukinon from you. Somebody else. You'd still have Yukinon. But not the club. Would that be okay with you?"

"Hypothetically..."

"Of course hypothetically," Yui insisted. "I love you Hikki. Or are you trying to say, but that would be a really mean thing to say, Hikki,..."

Suddenly her voice seemed to freeze over.

"... a girl like me couldn't simply find somebody else if she really wanted. In a heartbeat."

He slowly turned his head around. He didn't know what exactly he had expected to find there. All there was was the familiar face of Yuigahama Yui, smiling warmly at him.

"That... wouldn't be my business, would it."

"Hikki."

And harder. He looked at his hands. "No. I wouldn't like it," he answered after a few seconds.

She slowly stood up and kneeled back on the couch again, her knees left and right of him. The same pose she had assumed with Yukino. A long time ago. Just hours and two kisses.

"Hikki, please help me to understand what's in your head."

It was painfully obvious that she wasn't wearing a bra under that T-shirt.

"So what am I to you? More than a friend, not like a sister, doesn't feel bad to be loved by, and you don't want to lose her to anybody? If I could look into your head, how would I call what I see there? In simple words?"

He avoided her gaze. "I understand you, Yui."

Was exactly was she wearing under that oversized T-shirt?

"What do you understand, Hikki? If you understand it, then say it! Say it!"

"You would say..." he began, then lifted his head and looked her into the eyes. "I love you, Yuigahama Yui."

He went forward to let his lips meet hers halfway. She deserved it, having worked so hard, leaving him almost nothing to do.

o o o

I'm really sorry about that first kiss. Have we fixed it now? Will you make some nice memories before everything comes to an end? Or should I say we? Oh, I think it's certainly we, because...

... she smelled so nice.

And she felt so nice.

o o o

"Hikki?" Yui mumbled in his lap.

"Yes?"

"No, don't stop stroking my hair. Do you want to know where Yukinon can shove her rules?"

"Spare me."

"Hikki, do you want to make Yukinon happy? Do you want to save the club? Then there's something I need to get. From Yukinon. Can you help me getting it?"

"What is it?"

"You haven't figured it out yet? Everything, of course. Everything."

Author's Notes

What's going on here? I have no idea. I'm just the author.

I promised some lengthy notes after the 9th chapter. Now while editing, I decided to split the chapter in two, 9 and 10. So the notes will come after the 10th. The 10th chapter will be the last.