The streets were empty and cold, leaving no feeling as I walked along the road. The sky was bleak with clouds blocking the sunshine. On this day, I ditched riding my bike and tried walking to school.

With barely any energy, I was more like a slug than a regular human being. Still exhausted from the whole ordeal that was yesterday, I daydreamed.

In the past few days, more events happened in the last few days than in the years before it. I finally made some friends, even went on some trips and had fun. You could even call me a normal well-adjusted person.

However, a detail was missing. I felt anxious and afraid of school. I recalled that letter of challenge that made me so angry at the world and the society. That triggered my emotions more than I ever thought it would.

Usually being indifferent to how others thought to me, even I was shocked by how I felt after I read the letter. The moment I finally started to change, I got made fun of. I was still someone disgusting in those eyes and it was like nothing happened.

The people I have talked to, their feelings, I had slowly come to terms with. It was an unusual coincidence, as I received the letter the day right before the festival.

My emotions took control over me and after, during the festival, I lost it. Wanting to prove everything that the letter said wrong, I shouted such an embarrassing outburst. Afterwards, I felt empty. Was everything all for naught?

As I was minding my own business, a certain girl with a bun came up to me. I was not at all in the mood to see her at this moment. I turned around.

"Huh, it's you. You don't need to talk to me. I'll get the wrong idea again," I said without flinching.

"What do you mean Hikki, you look a little down," Yuigahama said. "Hey wait for me, why are you trying to avoid me?"

"You know I hate nice girls. And I thought this time was different."

"What you're talking about Hikki?"

"DON'T ACT LIKE NOTHING HAS HAPPENED!" I yelled. She backed off a little because of my outburst. Tears began dripping down my cheeks. "I'm not sure if you heard, but during middle school, there was this one girl who was really nice to me. I confessed to her and became that person people made fun of."

"Oh that girl was terrible. But you don't really talk to her anymore right?"

"Yeah no, but you are acting just like her. Do you know h-how difficult it was for me yesterday at the cultural festival? I know it was somewhat spontaneous, but being with the service club for a while, I thought we had something more. It was a lie. Everything was a lie."

Yuigahama paused. "I'm sorry!"

"Sorry doesn't cut it. I'm surprised you still have the nerve to talk to me the day after rejecting me."

"Rejected?"

"…"

"I didn't apologize for rejecting you." She said.

"Huh?"

"Sorry for running off when you confessed. I was just so shocked that I just took off."

"That still doesn't make me feel any better. Are you really shocked that a guy like me confessed to you?"

"Huh, no that's not what I meant!" Yuigahama now returned to her usual pouting face. "I was shocked because I-I…"

"Yes?"

"I-I loved the food and wanted to eat some more before it sold out."

Well, that settles it. My high school life was now the same joke as before. I walked faster and faster until she was out of sight. During class, people around me seemed more uncomfortable than usual. Did I have no right to feel depressed?

I felt like skipping the service club today as I was not in the mood in see any more girls. For lunch, instead I should have lunch with Totuska. He was that one person who won't betray me. Right the period ended, I went up to Totsuka's desk.

"Hey do you want to have lunch together?"

"Sure Hachiman," the angelic voice spoke. I already felt better about the day. After class, we found a table in the cafeteria and opened our lunch boxes.

"Hey Totsuka…"

"Yes, Hachiman?"

"You know, ever since I met you, there was that feeling I couldn't shake off. Being in school so long with you, I think I-I…" I felt a slap.

"As I was saying, I-I…"

In that moment, I got tackled. What was going on?

"No Hikki, please don't do that. Sorry, what I said before was a mistake. I was nervous, and although I loved the food, that wasn't what I meant to say. What I meant to say, was that um… you were the one I love. There I said it!" She had a solemn expression.

"Really?"

"Yes sorry, on the day of the festival, I was so surprised by what you said that I ran away. In fact, on the day, I was planning on confessing to you. I didn't expect you to be that bold."

"Is that really true?"

She nodded before crying some more and now she finally had a smile on her face. Damn this girl was way too nice for my own good. Oh… and she has some nice knockers too. A light punch came to my chest and before I knew it, there was a stinging sensation there. Oops, did I just day that out loud?

"Haha, you are such a pervert, Hikki. Though I guess I'll have to take the good with the bad."

"So will you go out with me?"

"Yes, gladly."

After going out for a month, something unusual started happening. In the beginning, Yukinoshita started talking less and less. That was expected though, as being in a club of three people with two people dating was awkward. It also seemed that she had unresolved feelings.

What I didn't expect was her to completely disappear by the end of the month. Even Haruno who usually bothered me, was gone from my life.

Yuigahama tried to contact Yukinoshita, and I tried to contact Haruno but we both received no response. I asked to borrow someone else's cell phone to contact Yukinoshita, thinking the family was just avoiding me and Yuigahama. No one's cell phone reached them as well. At that point, we decided to give up trying to contact them and try looking for the details ourselves.

Although we have both been to the estate, we had always been driven there by a Chauffeur. By the time we got out of the car, no signs were in sight so both of us never knew the address. As we were unsure of where to go, we asked Hiratsuka-sensei.

Normally, information like this was not let out easily, but this was a special scenario. Hiratsuka-sensei didn't hesitate to give out the information once we talked to her about what happened.

We took a cab to the house as no one in my family knew how to drive to the community. After all, commoners rarely visit communities of the wealthy. Upon arrival, we found out there was something odd. The Yukinoshita's family car was missing. The car that changed my first year of high school so drastically was a car I would never forget.

Instead, a completely different car was there. Rusty and in old style, it was not a car that anyone who assume was driven by a Yukinoshita. With their efforts of upholding their reputation, any car older than several years would probably be sold. That was the first red flag there.

Curiosity and impatience got the best of us and we dashed to the gates. Clean polished pipes adorned the gates showing that the place was not abandoned. A large interface with a doorbell and a speaker was perched right on the layered brick pillar that held the right gate. A voice came through as I rang the bell.

"Who is it?"

"Hikigaya Hachiman, I'm here to speak with Yukino."

"Yukino, you say? Sorry, there are no Yukinos here. In fact why don't you come inside, that name does not somewhat familiar if not a bit off."

The golden gates opened up slowly with a light squeak to let Yuigahama and me in. The courtyard, now in clear view, was as I remembered. I walked through the courtyard, admiring the beauty of the flowers in the garden and various trimmed hedges.

Even though I had been here before, the attention to detail would never cease to amaze me. A light stroll later, we climbed up the stone stairs to reach large double doors. As I expected, the person who came to greet me was someone I could not recognize.

An old man, dressed not too impress but still classier than average, stood in the foyer. His age was older than Yukinoshita's father or parents. Though, older people living here was not to be unexpected. In fact, the Yukinoshita family, with the young parents was the unusual one.

The properties in the area were definitely expensive, being out of reach of most common Japanese folks. Japan with its small land area suitable for living, resulted in homes with large yards and courtyards a rarity areas far from the downtown.

He directed us though the foyer and into the living room. Once there, both of us took a seat and the man started talking.

"I recently bought this house about a week ago so this situation doesn't surprise me. All I know was that the family that lived here before was Yukinoshita. Maybe, there was a Yukino there, I'm not sure. I only talked to the seller and one member from the family."

"Yes, that's it, it was Yukinoshita Yukino. We are former club mates from Sobu high school."

"Ah, formal club mates you say?" the old man said.

"Yes, Yukinon along with Hikki and I were in all in the service club. She started coming less and less and one day she just disappeared," Yuigahama said.

"Yes, and we tried to contact her but couldn't get to her. We were hoping to find her in her old house but it looks like she wasn't here. Do you think, she would have moved?"

"Oh yes, this house was recently sold to me by the Yukinoshita's. I'm not sure where they moved though."

"Do you have any clue why they moved?" I said.

"Well, they said they had some threats. At first, it was just a letter, but more and more things came up, which likely made them paranoid."

Letters? Something seemed familiar. And it was just a month before I started dating. Wait, dating. Before I started dating, I did receive a letter. Was that considered a threat?

If I thought about it, the letter I received was unusual. I rarely got letters from anyone, as in the modern age, people would usually use cell phones text others. Letters were remnant of the older generation where people did not have electronics.

In retrospect, I should have talked to my parents about the letter. They might have thought of a way to resolve the situation. After pondering about the situation a bit more, I thought of one line in the letter.

Besides, who will I have left once you get one?

Why would anyone who rejected me care if I got a girlfriend? That was a part that really puzzled me. Then I realized that people changed all the time. There are parts of life I took for granted in the past that I lost. Once I realized it, it was too late to get it back.

That letter could have been sent as a joke, but I doubt anyone would waste their name making fun of someone they don't care about anymore. I was pretty sure the letter was from Orimoto. What puzzled me was that the letter seemed contradictory. During my middle school years only I got made fun of by the class for confessing, but she was still talkative with all the other people.

If there was anything that went wrong for her, it was likely during high school. I learned my lesson from middle school that messing with the wrong person was not the best idea. So many social situations don't adhere to logic.

It would not be far-fetched that Orimoto would end up getting on the wrong side of the wrong person during high school. She had now lost what she had before and was now bitter at me. Probably because I was the only one who confessed to her and now I don't even talk to her anymore.

A bead of sweat flowed down my cheeks. I tried not to show any expression, but it was obvious.

"Hey Hikki, you know something about this right?"

"That letter was probably from someone I knew in middle school."

"That is a little scary. Does that person have a grudge against you?"

"Well, I was thinking it was from Orimoto, a girl I confessed to in middle school."

"Huh, I guess she regretted rejecting your confession?"

"Hmm, that was probably it."

We left the estate and made our way home. Perhaps it was time to tell my parents. I have never been close with my parents, probably because I closed up myself during middle school.

However, the letter was not a small issue that I could just ignore. Especially since someone close to me was already gone.

I figured I should discuss this more with my parents before I did anything rash. After not really voicing my thoughts to my parents, at first I felt slight hint of discomfort but that quickly disappeared.

My parents were still quite welcoming to hearing what I had to say. Their enthusiasm gradually faded away as I started discussing the letter.

"The letter couldn't possibly be a light joke," my mom said.

"Yeah Onii-chan, that letter was really creepy. We are lucky that no other letters came by."

"So what do you think we should do right now?"

"Judging by the contents of the letter, I have a feeling that the person now knows you had a girlfriend and is scheming against you to spite you," my mom said.

I was sad. Was breaking up with my girlfriend the only way to save my friends and family from ruin?

"Well Hachi, I'm not telling you to break up with your girlfriend. In fact when did you get a girlfriend? I was so worried that you would grow up alone!"

"A month ago."

"I don't think we are in danger. Your father and I are always on guard and take care when around suspicious people. In fact, now that we know the letter we can easily figure out whom the perpetrator is if they came again. Sadly, now there seems to be no evidence on sent the letter, so we cannot contact the police because of suspicions. Additionally, the police will probably consider it a joke."

"Okay, I'll just wait and see how it goes."

As the school year went by, I managed to be comfortable with talking to more and more people in class. I got to know so many people, but in the contrary, Yuigahama started to feel more and more distant.

"Yuigahama, is something wrong?" I said.

"Eh, not much Hikki," she replied. It was obvious that was not the case.

"Hey, I won't be mad, you can tell me anything."

"Our family might have to move. We have been getting unusual threats."

"Are they letters, can't you just set up a camera and sooner or later, you will find out who it was?"

"I hope doing that would be good enough," she said, although she still seemed uneasy.

Even now, Yukinoshita still wasn't back. It was likely she got transferred to a different school. Considering her strict parents, it wouldn't be surprising when anything put their lives at risk, they got away from our school.

Yukinoshita's parents didn't like me much, so once someone related to me started threating them, they worried about their daughter's safety. Most likely, Yukino did not get a chance to convince her parents otherwise.

For a while, Yuigahama seemed relieved that both of us finally had a plan to make the threats stop. In a while, when the person was caught, I would finally be able to stop thinking about this situation and focus on school and other things.

Next month, I arrived to a classroom with one less classmate. At first, I thought she was sick, but after a week went by, there were no signs of her returning. All the people she knew were surprised at her disappearance, and didn't seem to have heard from her. Yuigahama had stopped coming to school.

A/N: Okay, the next chapter will probably be the last. I think I'll be able to give an earlier update than usual as I am almost finished that chapter.