"Good morning, dear patron!"

The same morning.

The same routine.

The same sickeningly enthusiastic greeting.

"Good morning."

I greeted back to the ever-smiling shrine maiden.

Earlier this morning, Komachi was surely surprised to see that the moment she opened the door to the guys' room, I was already on my way to the showers, completely bypassing her usual announcement. Seriously, my little sister, your voice is adorable but even I have limits.

I met with Yuigahama near the vending machine, as per usual. While having our coffee, we went over our plan again. Yuigahama would be looking around for any semblance of a clue by asking around while I would be questioning the shrine maiden again.

Along the way here, I went over several questions and what the shrine maiden could say without technically lying about it, and how I could counter that. I thought over and over about what I can ask her in order to extract the most information in the shortest amount of time. Heh, at this point, maybe I should consider a career in being a detective when this entire thing was over and done with.

And now, here I was. Standing in the same spot as usual, face to mask with this inscrutable attendant.

Maybe Yuigahama was right. Maybe this shrine maiden really is a ghost.

"How can I help you on this fine day, dear patron?"

"I want to ask some questions about this shrine's…policy towards its patrons' wishes."

"Why certainly, dear patron. I will do my best to answer any of your inquiries!"

I breathed in deeply.

"This time loop that me and my friend are in," I began by confirming a theory I told Yuigahama yesterday, "You said that it's due to our wishes being in the 'process' of being granted, correct?"

"Correct."

A fast response.

"So, our wishes aren't granted yet."

"Correct."

"Therefore, if my friend and I were to complete our wishes, then we would be out of this time loop. Is that right?"

"Again, a rather crude way of referring to it, but yes. Yes, you are indeed correct, dear patron."

Bingo. That was one theory down.

Now, onto what we came here for…

"What happened to our wishing plates? If they are still being granted by this god of yours, then why can't I see them?"

The shrine maiden gave a wide smile as she tilted her head, "Ah, like I have said, your wishes have been delivered and are being carried out by our deity, dear patron."

"Why can't we see them?" I repeated my question.

"They have been delivered to our deity, dear patron."

A bitter scoff escaped my lips, much to the attendant's satisfaction, evident by that smirk she was wearing.

"By you?"

"In effect, yes, dear patron."

"And yet, you forgot both our wishes," I retorted, "What kind of envoy is that?"

"Ah. I did not say that, dear patron."

"Wh-"

"I merely said that I forgot your wish, dear patron," continued the shrine maiden, "I did not mention anything about your friend's wish. You interrupted me before I could do so."

"So, you actually…remember Yuigahama's wish?"

I accidentally let slip Yuigaham's name but before I could refer to her as my friend again, the shrine maiden spoke up once more.

"Yes, I do remember Yuigahama-san's wish."

On one hand, I was surprised that she would know Yuigahama. On the other, not so much. But that didn't matter. What mattered now was the fact that we finally have a lead. A new clue as to how to break this stupid loop.

"Then what is her wish?"

"…"

Silence along with an upturned smile was my response.

"Are you going to tell me or not?"

"Ah, I do apologize greatly, dear patron. Telling you another person's wish would greatly go against our shrine's privacy policy.

"Bullshit."

"Language, dear patron. There are children around."

She was toying with me. Plain and simple. Dangling hope right in front of me only to snag it out of my grasp at the last moment. How absurdly annoying. But even so, I needed to remain calm. Even though we have all the time in the world, my time at the shrine was running out. But another curiosity was gnawing at me.

"Why the hell do you remember Yuigahama's wish and not mine?" I basically spat out those words, unable to contain the bitter taste in my mouth, "Or you can't tell me that either because it goes against your shrine's privacy policy?"

Privacy policy? What a goddamn joke. I know that she doesn't lie but at this point, I was doubting that fact.

"On the contrary," Those words perked my ears up as she spoke, "It does not, dear patron."

"So then…why?"

"Simply put, dear patron, Yuigahama-san's wish is rather peculiar. So much so that I couldn't help but remember it."

I raised my eyebrow, asking, "Peculiar how?"

"I cannot disclose any details, dear patron, but I suppose I can tell you that it wasn't what I'd expected from a girl like her," replied the attendant, "Yet at the same time, if one were to look closely, it was completely expected."

"…what the hell do you even mean by that?"

"No further details can be disclosed, dear patron."

"…"

"Do you have any other question, dear patron?"

"No. No, I don't."

I simply answered before turning on my heels and walking away, frustration and bitterness filling my very core. But as I walked away, that sly, sarcastic voice rang out behind me, momentarily stopping me in my tracks.

"Yuigahama Yui-san really is a nice girl."

"Is that related to what her wish is?" I asked, back still turned.

"No, it is simply an opinion of a humble shrine maiden, dear patron."

I didn't reply and just walked to where Yuigahama and the others were.

If I'd stayed a second longer at that line to the booth, my emotions would've gotten the better of me. When I'd arrived to where our group was, Yukinoshita and Yuigahama immediately noticed how tense I was. Yukinoshita, to her credit, just held my hand and asked what was wrong while Yuigahama, who had an idea as to what I was dealing with, simply gave me a supportive look.

I told them that everything was fine and that I was just getting jitters from my coffee earlier, and it was enough for Yukinoshita to drop the issue.

On our way to the picnic, Yuigahama snuck by me and asked what had happened with the shrine maiden. When I told her that the shrine maiden was being a nuisance, she immediately tried to lift the mood by telling me that all the other shrine maidens there were also totally ghosts and that they were such sticklers for the rules that they won't even tell her what her wish was.

At the very least, what Yuigahama said lined up with what the shrine maiden told me.

But with that enigmatic hint in mind, what exactly could Yuigahama have wished for? I didn't tell Yuigahama what that masked attendant said to me because I didn't want to influence Yuigahama into thinking that her wish was something else while she already has an idea of what it was. A part of me wanted to reveal it to her yet another part told me to keep it a secret for now.

Yeah…I should keep it from Yuigahama for now. It was for the best.

I thought back to the words of the shrine maiden.

Something that was unexpected. Yet upon closer look, was completely expected from Yuigahama.

I silent mused about it on our walk over through the forest. From the corner of my eyes, I could see Yuigahama worriedly glancing over at me and Yukinoshita before looking at the others a couple of times but I thought nothing of it. She was probably being a worrywart, thinking that I wasn't having fun.

Technically, she was right. I really wasn't.

The serene forest surrounding us as we hiked through it contrasted greatly with the tempest brewing through my mind. While the birds chirped and the winds howled, my head was going through various scenarios, linking them to one another in an attempt to concoct something that would resemble Yuigahama's desire.

…what did she really desire? Something unexpected? Yet expected?

There was one idea that floated in my head momentarily but I shot it down.

Yuigahama isn't that kind of person. Even if she had…caused troubles in the past, she has moved past it. She considers me a good friend and holds Yukinoshita in an even higher regard. Even though that little corner of my mind whispered to me that that was the obvious answer, I pushed it aside. Yuigahama deserved some benefit of the doubt.

Besides…if that was the case, it would be completely expected of Yuigahama.

So, my mind pivoted to another idea as we set up our picnic. When I finished setting up the little area that Yuigahama and I would sit at during the previous loops, I observed her helping Yukinoshita with prepping the picnic area for the others. One thought that popped into my mind was of how Yuigahama treasures not only her relationship with me but with Yukinoshita as well. Ergo, our little trio's relationship in the Service Club.

Yuigahama has said it before and has said it again; she cherishes the Service Club. She cherishes Yukinoshita. And as presumptuous as it sounds, she also cherishes me.

And with her upcoming undergraduate studies taking all the way to the United States, she would no doubt miss both of us and this whole thing that three of us have. In fact, after this trip, Yuigahama basically wouldn't have any time to hang out with us anymore. Any further interactions would be through LINE or video calls. Effectively, this group trip would be the last chance she has to have any meaningful conversation with her classmates, and most importantly, us.

Logically, then Yuigahama's unexpected yet expected wish was simple:

She simply wished to spend more time with both me and Yukinoshita on her final trip.

After a couple of minutes, Yuigahama finally finished helping and walked over back to where I was as Yukinoshita got swarmed by the others. I couldn't help but chuckle at the absurdity of how my girlfriend was always the center of attention, even if she was in a time loop.

"Yukinon's always super popular, huh?" remarked Yuigahama offhandedly as she handed me a sandwich.

"Yeah, not surprising, I suppose," I replied, thinking for a few seconds about fulfilling Yuigahama's wish right then and there. It was a relatively simple and innocent wish after all, so why shouldn't I just do it? Yuigahama simply wanted to spend time with her really good friends.

"Here, hold this for a bit."

I thrusted the sandwich back into Yuigahama's grasp as I walked over to where my girlfriend was. Of course, such a sudden move caused Yuigahama to yell indignantly at me about how rude I was but I didn't listen too much. The same sort of protests also came my way when I hastily grabbed Yukinoshita's hand and pulled her away from the mob, with Komachi being the biggest offender when she lambasted me for taking away her precious 'Yukino-san'.

Yukinoshita, despite her initial surprise, just decided to follow along without asking me why, her grip tightening around my fingers as we walked away.

But in the end, I think they all pretty much understood or rather didn't mind that I was being so abrupt in taking Yukinoshita away. Hell, even the usually insensitive Tobe was muttering something along the lines of 'Yo, he must be totally missing spending time with his girlfriend or somethin'. My man's just up and grab Yukinoshita-san!'

I'm not your man, Tobe. Don't give Ebina any unnecessary ideas.

Then only person with any sort of confusion was the actual target of my actions, Yuigahama.

"Yahallo, Yukinon!" greeted Yuigahama cheerfully to my girlfriend before her face shifted instantly into a grouchy one as she put her hands on her hips, "And hello to you too, mister. What was that all about?!"

Sighing, I led Yukinoshita to gently sit down on the picnic blanket before answering, "I was getting Yukinoshita."

"Uhh yeah? I know that, but why? Oh, here ya go, Yukinon. Chicken katsu sandwich," Even in her pouty state, she still made sure to accommodate Yukinoshita, who graciously accepted her offering, "Ya didn't have to drag Yukinon all the way here, y'know."

"Yeah, yeah," I fortunately received a sandwich from Yuigahama too as I sat down. It wasn't until I took the first bite of my sandwich that I realized that there were two pairs of eyes staring right at me, fully expecting me to explain why exactly I had the gall to drag my own girlfriend away from the others.

"So…are you gonna like keep quiet?" Yuigahama began.

"Or are you going to explain why exactly you dragged me here, Hikigaya-kun?" Yukinoshita finished off her thoughts.

Scary. Super scary. What the hell? I didn't know these two had telepathic communications!

"Well…" I scratched my cheek awkwardly.

It was tough to think of an explanation that sounded plausible, especially since I didn't want Yuigahama to know that I was just doing this in order to fulfill her wish. If I'd told her, she would definitely start to feel bad about taking Yukinoshita away and that would just be another can of worms that I wouldn't want to open.

"Cuz just saying, Hikki. That was tactless."

Yuigahama smugly remarked, supported by a quiet nod from Yukinoshita.

"Utterly tactless."

"Super-duper tactless!"

"Hiki-tactless-kun."

"Okay, that pun doesn't even make any sense," I grumbled in annoyance to both their enjoyment, "Besides, can't I just…y'know, enjoy some time with good friends?"

Blink.

Blink.

Blink.

Both Yuigahama and Yukinoshita blinked three times at me synchronously before they then turned to each other at the same time in silence. I raised my eyebrow and was about to ask exactly why they were doing a choreographed routine before Yuigahama slyly leaned into Yukinoshita's ear, who in turn also tilted her head towards Yuigahama.

Again, synchronously. As if they were sharing one brain.

I grumbled, having a premonition that what they were going to say weren't going to be in my favors at all.

"Yukinon, Yukinon."

"Yes, Yuigahama-san."

They both whispered in a hushed tone, yet loud enough that I could hear, as they gave me side-eye glares.

"Did you hear that?"

"Indeed, I did."

"Your GF status has been demoted from Girlfriend to just Good Friend, y'know."

"Indeed, it was," Yukinoshita even huffed in my general direction, "To do so right in front of me. How rude."

"Super rude."

"Undeniably rude."

"You guys do know that I can hear you, right?"

Again, Yuigahama and Yukinoshita paused and took a look at each other before my girlfriend spoke up as-a-matter-of-factly.

"Yes, that was indeed the point, Hikigaya-kun."

"Honestly, Hikki, demoting your own girlfriend to just a friend?" Yuigahama sighed and shrugged dramatically in faux disappointment, "I never thought you could get any lower, but you totally prove me wrong, huh?"

My right eye twitched in annoyance at the pompous attitude that the duo in front of me was giving out. On one hand, I was bringing these two together so that we can hang out together for old times' sake in order to fulfill Yuigahama's wish. On the other hand, I was this close to regretting that very decision.

"Why are you guys bullying me…"

That extremely weak retort only served to cause Yuigahama and Yukinoshita to laugh incessantly all at my expense as Yukinoshita kept on giving me incredibly lame pun-inspired names that still made no sense. While my face was definitely etched with irritation, on the inside, I was enjoying myself…just a bit. I wasn't too happy, considering our current circumstances, but seeing Yuigahama and Yukinoshita being carefree like this did bring a smile to my face.

It was almost enough to make me forget the original purpose as to why I brought all three of us together.

But I didn't.

Yet at the same time, I took Yuigahama's words to heart about having fun and making the most out of our situation.

After all, who said we couldn't enjoy ourselves while solving this chaotic mess?

Even as our little picnic finished and we returned through the forest, I noticed that Yuigahama was way more energetic this time around, clinging and locking arms with Yukinoshita and living up to her Yuri-gahama moniker. While the others decided to continue exploring the city, the three of us decided (Or rather, it was me who brought up the idea) to continue visiting some other landmarks and touristic locations around Kyoto.

I sneakily designed our little 'impromptu' itinerary in such a way that it could completely avoid the others no matter what. If those guys were on one side of the city, we would be on the other. If those guys were resting at a café, I would be dragging Yuigahama and Yukinoshita to a local pottery shop.

As expected, both of them were rather taken aback by my willingness to plan everything out. Hell, at one point, even my own girlfriend teased me for the fact that I was putting more effort into this little trio hangout than our own dates.

Yuigahama laughed rowdily.

I merely grumbled.

Such was the life of one pitiful Hikigaya Hachiman.

But I did not let that simple roadblock deter me. In fact, the more locations we visited and the more activities we did, the sooner they forgot the fact that such a listless, trip-hating person such as myself could design an elaborate little hangout plan like this and before long, they began to enjoy it earnestly. I supposed that I did enjoy the things we did as well, though of course, to a much lesser degree than those two.

Flower arrangement. Tea ceremonies. Sampling the myriad of the Kyoto's street food. And so much more.

I basically pulled out every single list of activities that I could think of (Plus those that I lifted from Komachi's own bucket list) in order to give these two (and me) the best sort of hangout possible.

My dear little sister, your lovely older brother thanks you kindly.

Even when it was time for the local festival, I made sure to inform the others that we were having one final 'Service Club hangout', ergo, we wouldn't be walking around with them. Komachi and Isshiki, being the immature buggers that they were, were pretty annoyed and pouted constantly as I told them that, but the others were more than fine with it. They knew just how much the Service Club meant to us after all. Not to mention, the fact that Yuigahama was going abroad soon meant that this hangout would mean even more to all three of us.

Again, just like the tour around the city, I kept a mental checklist of all the booths that the others would visit during the previous loops and made sure to steer clear of them. This hangout needed to be just me, Yukinoshita, and Yuigahama having fun – no matter what. I was afraid that the inclusion of those guys, even for a little while, would more than likely ruin Yuigahama's 'wish'.

And as difficult as it sounded and the mental effort required to keep ourselves away from those rowdy bunch, ultimately, I was pretty sure that we succeeded.

The entire evening, Yuigahama walked arm in arm with Yukinoshita as all three of us explored the festival while sometimes poking fun at each other. We ate copious amount of greasy festival food that would only be delicious with company, played incredibly childish games that were only made fun by Yukinoshita's competitive nature, and ultimately, after exhausting any and all forms of activities that could be done at the festival, we rested on the benches near the entrance of the festival.

This spot would still allow us to see the fireworks show, though with a slightly worse view.

And of course, me being a gentleman, I was naturally forced to get some refreshments for these lovely ladies.

"Here, your drinks," I handed a carton of orange juice to Yukinoshita and a soda to Yuigahama, "Can't believe you guys made me walk all the way over there just to get some drinks."

I obviously would've gotten some MAX Coffee for myself but before I embarked on my journey, Yukinoshita made it pretty clear that I would not buy that 'sickly sweet imitation of a coffee' because it would rot my teeth.

Potential marital issues from Yukinoshita not approving in my choice of coffee aside, I had no choice but to abide by my girlfriend's orders. Though doing so immediately made Yuigahama smile smugly and I had half a mind to not get her any drinks.

But alas, I did anyways.

Because I'm a nice person.

"And I can't believe that you would call me a 'Good Friend', Hikigaya-kun," retorted Yukinoshita as she took a sip, "This is the least you can do as repentance."

"It was a slip of the tongue…"

"Sure, sure. We can just leave it at that if you want."

Again, Yuigahama was sure having a good time at my expense, as this interaction of me being bullied by my own girlfriend was apparently grade A comedy material for her. However, as we simmered down and silence took a hold of us, it was Yuigahama who spoke up.

"Umm…I mean for what it's worth, thanks a lot for today, you guys. For spending time with me, I mean," said Yuigahama, "Especially you, Hikki. If you didn't bring Yukinon over and like planned this out, I don't think we could've done this."

"Oh please, it's nothing."

"Yuigahama-san's right," Yukinoshita chimed in, "I was a bit surprised at how forward you were, but I don't mind. Especially since Yuigahama-san is going away after this."

Nodding solemnly, Yuigahama gave a somber smile, "Yeah…yeah, unfortunately. I'll try to visit and all, but like the US is kinda far."

"That's an understatement. It takes about 12 hours on average for a direct flight."

But as I said that, they both gave me strange looks.

"What? I researched it. For fun."

"Just say that you are just going to miss Yuigahama-san a lot."

Goddamn it, Yukinoshita.

"Eeeh, reallyyyyy?"

Not you too, Yuigahama!

"Wouldn't we all just miss you? And I'm not talking metaphorically either," I replied before turning to Yukinoshita, "In fact, wouldn't you be missing her the most? You're going to be missing your shopping buddy for 4 whole years."

"Correction; Yuigahama-san would be visiting during her breaks. So not 4 whole years."

This goddamn girlfriend of mine…

"Yep, yep!" added Yuigahama enthusiastically, "Well, I mean my schedule isn't totally detailed yet, but like when it is, I'll tell you guys! There's definitely some long breaks in there."

"I suppose that's true," replied Yukinoshita before she took a bit of a pause and asked again, "Yuigahama-san?"

"Yeah?"

"If you don't mind me asking-"

"Nope! Ask away!"

Yukinoshita simply chuckled good-naturedly before posing a question, "Why did you choose to study abroad? I am certainly happy for you but it is rather unexpected."

A valid question. Yuigahama from the first two years didn't even seem like she knew going abroad to study was an option.

"Aah…well, I guess because I started taking my education a lil bit more seriously?" she rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly before continuing, "Like…I think you guys know how easygoing I was during the first two years, yeah?"

We nodded immediately.

Chuckling at our straightforward response, Yuigahama explained, "Yeah so during my third year, I guess I began to see how I should take my studies and career more seriously. I can't lounge around all day, y'know."

"Is that why you went to cram school alone?" I couldn't help but ask as well.

"Kinda, yeah."

"We could've had studies sessions together," added Yukinoshita.

"Aww, come on, you guys. You're making me feel guilty. And y'know, like I said, I didn't wanna interrupt you two doing your stuff. Like seriously, do you guys know how awkward it is for me when you flirt?"

A rough cough rang out from Yukinoshita as she tried to fan down her warming face.

I, of course, did not get flustered but preferred to look to a nearby trashcan so these two couldn't see what color my cheeks were.

"We…apologize for that."

"It's not like we want to make you feel like the third wheel."

"Yeah…well, you still did," pouted Yuigahama, "But like yeah, that's why I kinda decided to just register for a cram school and stuff. Besides, I feel like if the three of us did a study session, we would never get anything done!"

"That's fair enough. We would just relax too much around each other, wouldn't we?"

"Oh, totally. The vibes around you guys just make too relaxed," said Yuigahama before she gave off a huge sigh, as if quietly screaming into the star-studded night sky, "I'm seriously gonna miss you guys."

"Me too. And I hope Hikigaya-kun does too. Right?"

Why are you staring at me like that, woman?

"Of course. It would be a lie if I said otherwise."

"Ehe~ But I mean like seriously miss though. It's gonna be hard over there without you guys around me," confessed Yuigahama, "And like, the vibes are gonna be totally different too…"

"We'll still be here if you need us, Yuigahama-san. If there's anything that we can help with, you don't need to hesitate."

"Aww, thanks, Yukinon. I'm just thinking that compared to right now, it's totally gonna be hard to talk to you guys about random stuff."

"Perhaps. But I'm sure we can work something out, right?"

"Of course!"

"Why are you guys talking like social media doesn't exist?" I chimed in again.

Only to be the subject of two simultaneous side-eye glares.

"…I'm just saying that LINE exists. So does Facebook. Instagram too. And video calls exist…" I added before stopping, "But I'm suspecting that that's not what you're wondering."

Their glares deepened. At the same time, might I add.

I gulped.

When the hell did these two share the same neural network?!

"Hikigaya-kun, you're being insensitive."

"Totes insensitive!"

"Hah? I was just stating the obvious!"

"More like obviously rude."

"Obviously rude indeed, Hikigaya-kun."

"I hate you guys."

All that did was earn the rambunctious and wholehearted laughs and giggles from both Yuigahama and Yukinoshita. I, of course, did not laugh, because I was currently being bullied by my own girlfriend and her girl friend just for stating facts. But at least, as they both filled the air with innocent, girlish laughter, the fireworks also began at the same time, signaling the end of the festival and most importantly, reminding me what my initial goal was in the first place.

Fulfilling Yuigahama's wish and getting out of this godforsaken time loop.

But did that mean that I didn't have any fun today? No, of course not. I got to hang out with these two, which was a vast improvement over being dragged along by those guys and most importantly, I got to be even closer with my girlfriend – even if said girlfriend ended up teasing me relentlessly throughout the entire hangout.

We soon met with the others, who had their fill of fun and food before returning back to the inn. Yuigahama, who had her arms linked with Yukinoshita the entire day, notably did not do so during the walk back. Which just meant that I was able to hold Yukinoshita's hand the whole walk back.

Lucky me.

However, as everyone else entered to their respective rooms, and I was about to do the same, something gently tugged my shirt from behind, stopping me in my tracks.

"Ne, Hikki."

Yuigahama voiced out softly.

"Yeah?"

"Umm…thanks. For today, I mean."

"Don't mention it."

"I'm serious, y'know!" I could see her give me her angriest pout as I turned to face her, "Like, seriously. Thanks for planning a little hangout with just us three. Even though I guess we have more urgent stuff to do."

I scoffed, leaning against a nearby wall, "Wasn't it you who told me to have fun?"

"I know that! But like…I didn't think you would actually consider it, y'know."

Well, that, and technically fulfilling her wish too, but she didn't need to know that.

"Well, I just did. And just saying, you were the one who was all like 'Ooh, we have all the time in the world' and whatnot."

Another pout.

"Smartass."

We both chuckled. Despite the sheer irrationality of our situation, today felt the most normal out of all of them. Perhaps, it had something to do with finally figuring out the solution to our not-so-little problem, but it could've had something to do with just us having fun as a trio.

Oh well, we can definitely have more fun after this whole thing is over and done with by tomorrow morning.

Yuigahama would definitely be in for a surprise when she wakes up tomorrow then, huh?

"Hikki."

She spoke up again.

"Sup?"

"Y'know, when I saw you go up to the group and fetch Yukinon, I thought you'd be dragging her somewhere alone."

"What the hell am I; some sort of overly possessive boyfriend?"

"Aha, well could you blame me?" Yuigahama giggled, "I mean, it's only logical that you'd wanna hang out with only Yukinon, right?"

"I mean, I guess."

"Didn't you intend for this trip to be a like a solo one with Yukinon?" she asked.

"Uh…yeah, technically. Where did you even hear that from?"

"I mean, it was kinda obvious, y'know? I didn't snoop, just for your info," replied Yuigahama, "But like yeah, because of that, I thought you were gonna take Yukinon and spend the day with her."

"Huh…you're not wrong in thinking that."

"You totally should have!" she hit my arm playfully, "I know we got all the time in the world and all but a couple's trip just doesn't happen often, yeah? And who's to say you would get this opportunity again tomorrow. Or well, the next loop thing. You know what I mean."

Chuckling lightly, I replied, "Well, with you going away soon, I was just thinking of ticking a Service Club's hangout off of our bucket list. I feel like we won't be getting to have fun with just the three of us any time soon after this."

"Aww, thanks, Hikki," Yuigahama cooed before she too leaned against a wall and looked up at the now cloudy night sky, "I really hope we can figure out this time loop thing soon. Extra time is nice and all but I really wanna go back to normal stuff…"

"Yeah…" I nodded, fully knowing that tomorrow would be the exact thing that Yuigahama would want, "Normal things are way better than what the hell this is."

"Aha, I know, right? I bet if the past me was here, she'd be like super duper happy at having infinite time to do her homework or something!"

"Not gonna lie, the past me would probably be overjoyed for the same reason."

Silence fell between us as the only sounds that could be heard was the winds howling and leaves rustling along with it. Normally, we would talk about what we were going to do tomorrow, but seeing as our little time loop was about to come to an end, I decided not to bring that subject up.

"Hikki."

"Yes, yes, I'm still Hikigaya."

Yuigahama pouted again, "Smartass."

"Well, what is it this time? Gonna thank me third time today or something?"

"No, you smartass," Another light jab was made to my arm and I could only roll my eyes at the weak hit, "I was just gonna ask what we'll do tomorrow."

Go home obviously.

I managed to hold back my instinctive response and just answered with: "Don't know yet."

Yuigahama almost threw her head back in disbelief at my nonchalant response stammering out, "N-No way, are you really Hikki?"

"The hell do you even mean by that?"

"The Hikki a few days – or well, a few loops – you know what I mean! The previous you were like obsessing over how to break this time thing and now you don't know?!"

My eyes twitched at just how loud she was. Seriously, woman, there were people sleeping at this hour already.

"Can't a guy not know what to do for one second?" I retorted and before she can do so in return, I cut Yuigahama off, "Besides, we have time."

"Are you seriously gonna use that against me?"

"Oh, every time," I snickered, triggering another pout from her, "But hey, I'm just saying that maybe we need a rest day. Talking to that shrine maiden is exhausting."

I pushed myself off the wall and began walking back into the inn, with Yuigahama following suite.

"See? She is a ghost!"

"She isn't. The way she talks just tires me."

"So, she's a ghost that sucks out your vitality through talking!"

"Where are you getting these harebrained ideas from anyways…"

"From some random forums, ehe~"

I could only roll my eyes at just how immature my time-loop buddy was but other than those words, we mostly stayed silent until we reached the part of the building where the paths to our rooms separate. I was about to bid her goodnight before Yuigahama beat me to the punch.

"Hikki, if you're serious about taking a rest day tomorrow and y'know, not talking to the shrine maidens and stuff…then, I think you should just spend it alone with Yukinon."

"Hah?"

"I'm serious!" She pumped her fists, "Don't worry, I can totally distract those guys and you can sweep Yukinon off her feet like some prince charming!"

Well…tomorrow, we would be going home, so her suggested plan definitely was a bit too late. But hey, what she didn't know wouldn't hurt her, right?

"Yeah, yeah, I'll take that into consideration."

Yuigahama jabbed me in good fun again, "You better, you smartass."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say. Goodnight, Yuigahama."

"Haha, goodnight to you too, Hikki. See ya tomorrow!"

With a wave and a smile, Yuigahama cheerfully went away to her own resting place as I went to mine. The guys were still preparing their futons; some were showering and some were playing with their phones, but overall, I didn't pay them any attention.

Instead, as I was showering, all I could think of was how this entire dilemma was finally over. All my brain could feel was the immense relief and liberation that washed over my body as I would finally be freed from this divinity-induced madness. I couldn't help but find it all so funny; especially at just how it felt far longer than it actually was, though that could have actually been the case.

But just eight short hours from now, the morning sun would rise, the next day would arrive, and we would finally be free from this whole time loop.

Heh, I wonder if I can tell this story to Yukinoshita. Would she believe me or just try to test me for mental deterioration?

Oh well, it wouldn't matter all too much now, would it?

As we turned the lights off and everyone was beginning to sleep, I couldn't help but give a smile as my head hit the soft pillow and a thick blanket of silence took over the room. All I could think of was the immense glee of finally being able to go home.