Part 1
Hachikuji returns home and flops onto the sofa in exhaustion. Sustained interaction with other humans is bound to stress her out. She can only be thankful that she managed to clear things up with Yukinoshita, but that's only one hurdle crossed. She still has Yuigahama to deal with. Not wanting to think about this, Hachikuji groans and stuffs her face further into the cushion.
"Onee-chan! How did the date go?" Komachi walks into the living room, interrupting Hachikuji from her partially vegetative state.
"It was okay." Hachikuji mutters noncommittally, not wanting to give Komachi any openings to pounce on.
"Suuuuuure. It went really well, didn't it? You look like an innocent lovestruck maiden!"
Hachikuji tries to shoot her sister a dark glare, which comes out more like a pout. "Quit running your mouth."
"And how many times has Komachi had to listen to you run your mouth?" With an impish grin, Komachi conveniently seats herself on Hachikuji's left leg. Heavy! Go on a diet before you kill your beloved Onee-chan someday! "Anyway, will there be the chance of any more dates in the near future? Komachi wants to be an aunt soon!"
Hachikuji sighs, ignoring the pins and needles that have already begun in her leg. "It was a one-off thing. Now shoo, I gotta take a bath."
Komachi retires to her room, but not before flashing one of her Onee-chan is growing up so quickly, I'm so touched! smiles. Hachikuji lets out a sound of minor frustration, rolls off the sofa, and makes a sound of slightly less minor frustration.
As much as she'd deny it out loud, today could have been much worse. She didn't exactly fix her relationship with Yukinoshita, but they did reset it from zero (whatever that means). Despite this, a feeling akin to reluctance is still present in Hachikuji's heart. After all that happened at the mall, could they have solved the problems between them if they tried harder?
But it's too late now, Hachikuji supposes. What's done is done, and she likely won't get another chance to undo the reset (whatever that means). Summer will simply pass by in a flash, leaving her to spend her hours reading in the clubroom with him and trying to win that meaningless bet. Whatever hopes she had for today were all meaningless to begin with-
Her phone rings. It's Yukinoshita.
"Hikigaya-san, my apologies for imposing on you after talking up so much of our time today."
"It's fine," she mumbles. "What is it?"
"You're the only person I can ask this of. Please go with me to see the fireworks."
Part 2
"Oh? Another date?" Komachi positively squeals as she slams her hands on the dining table. "Komachi was right after all!"
"I-It's not like that," Hachikuji mumbles, stuffing three spoonfuls of curry into her mouth in an attempt to hide her reaction. It doesn't work.
"You're blushing, Onee-chan! Komachi is going to get diabetes!" It's not my fault, I'm a girl after all! I'm genetically engineered to react this way, yep. Hormones and all that.
"Like I said, it's not like that. He just needed me as an excuse so that he wouldn't need to go with his sister." Hachikuji was fairly surprised that his parents would allow him to do so, but apparently only Haruno's presence at the gathering will be needed to represent the Yukinoshita family. Hence the youngest Yukinoshita is free to do anything he wants in that period of time. And of all the options he had, he chose me? Hachikuji feels another traitorous blush work its way onto her face.
"The event's in three days, right? You've gotta get everything ready? Where's your Yukata?"
"W-What? Yukata? Is that even necessary?" Hachikuji attempts to put up a brave front and display her loner mentality. The truth is, she hasn't worn a Yukata since elementary school and has long since thrown that set out. It takes Komachi approximately three seconds to realise this.
...
"...Onee-chan."
"What is it?" Hachikuji sighs, thoroughly resigning to her fate. Komachi is already standing up like a demon rising from the abyss. Darkness shrouds her expression.
"You are in no shape for a proper date." And with this outrageous declaration, Hachikuji feels her remaining free time for Summer Holidays slipping away.
...
"There! Aaaall done!" Komachi explaims while applying the finishing touches to Hachikuji's Yukata.
"Where did all my time go?" Hachikuji laments audibly, unaware that this is less due to Komachi's meddling and more because the lazy author decided to insert a three day timeskip.
"Quit whining. It ruins the mood, you know?" Komachi chirps, fastening the robe a little too tightly for emphasis. "So, is Yukio-san coming to pick you up?"
What's this, more gender stereotypes? "Of course not."
"Minus boyfriend points." Komachi pouts. "Oh well. Komachi should be grateful that he agreed to date my rotten Onee-chan. Beggars can't be choosers, after all."
Hachikuji blushes. Whether from irritation or embarrassment, she can't even tell anymore. "I told him not to pick me up! And we're not dating."
"Sure, sure. Now, remember all the things we went through?" Barely half of the date etiquette Komachi drilled into her has stayed inside her head, but Hachikuji nods nonetheless. This is the Yandere Imouto-figure that cowed even Hiratsuka-sensei to tears, after all.
"Make sure you bring everything. Extra lipstick?"
"Check."
"Extra hairbands?"
"Check."
"Sexy underwear?"
"..."
Komachi laughs. "You're good to go! Man, Onee-chan's growing so fast, Komachi's sure you'll be moving out soon!" Even though she says this in jest, there's a hint of sadness to them that Hachikuji only detects due to fifteen years of living with her.
Here I was thinking she was the mature one. She's just a kid underneath all that, huh. Hachikuji smiles fondly, ruffling her little sister's hair. "Don't worry. I'm sure no man will be stupid enough to take me anytime soon."
"Don't be silly," Komachi laughs lightly, but Hachikuji can hear the ever-so-slight gratitude in her teasing voice. "Go on, then. Komachi will be rooting for you from the sidelines!"
The day when our bond gets so neglected to the point of decay will inevitably come, Hachikuji thinks as she exits the front door. But that day is not today.
Part 3
By the time Hachikuji makes it to the festival, the sun has already set.
As agreed, she waits at the gate to the shrine, pretending to concentrate on her phone just in case acquaintances pass by. The people around her are exceedingly noisy. Hachikuji eyes the couples passing by the gate, absorbing the ruckus, trying her best to avoid the fact that she is nervous about meeting Yukinoshita. Come to think of it, why do I feel nervous? The possible answer lingers somewhere the forefront of her mind before she pushes it back. The lapse in concentration causes her to drop her phone.
"G-Good evening, Hikigaya-san."
Give me a break. That was the worst possible time for you to show up!
Hachikuji, picking up her phone, looks up to see a Yukinoshita clad in a yukata, who hurriedly looks away. She reasons that it's the ugly couples around them which makes Yukinoshita look unfairly good.
Why are you blushing? Isn't that my job? I'm doing it well enough already.
"Y-yo. It's been a while." Moments after stammering out this standard greeting line, Hachikuji realises that they have literally just met the day before. Ignoring the mistake, Yukinoshita closes his eyes and turns to walk through the gate.
"Shall we get going, then?" Hachikuji hurriedly snaps back to reality and follows after Yukinoshita. Soon, they're walking through the multiple stalls lining the walkway. With the raucous screaming of kids running past them, and the constant shouting of the stall owners, the festive mood is laid on thick. Hachikuji can almost ignore the incredibly thick silence between herself and Yukinoshita. Almost.
"Thanks for joining me today." Yukinoshita finally breaks the silence without looking back.
"Well, it's not like I had anyone else to go with either. In fact, this is probably the first time I've been asked to go to the fireworks by anyone." Hachikuji tries her best to reply casually, before realising that Yukinoshita's ears look extremely red.
What's with this situation?
Hachikuji isn't dumb; she can obviously tell that the mood near a shrine is perfect for a date, not to mention the fireworks that are supposed to appear at the end have spawned so may cliched scenes that she has seen more times than she can count in Komachi's Shoujo manga.
Remember what you told yourself when you first met Yukinoshita! It isn't a good idea to mess around with the person of interest of about a fifth of the girl student population! Don't get carried away! Hachikuji steels herself and continues walking before bumping into Yukinoshita, who has stopped.
"What's the matter?"
"Let's walk the other way." Yukinoshita turns around, grabbing Hachikuji's hand and walking back. Hachikuji, pulled by Yukinoshita, stumbles forward and has to try her best to keep up with Yukinoshita, who is now walking at full stride.
"Why are you walking back? Wait up!"
…
After a period of brisk walking, Yukinoshita and Hachikuji make it to the riverside, where Hachikuji stumbles and collapses on her knees. She stares angrily at Yukinoshita, who has yet to explain himself.
"What was that for!?"
Yukinoshita, leaning against the handrails, hesitates visibly before turning to look back at Hachikuji.
"Would you believe me if I said I felt like coming to the river?"
Don't give me that crap! Hachikuji glares back at Yukinoshita, who sighs. He looks at the river, and the cheerful couples crossing the bridge. It would be a pity to end the good mood now.
"I saw Yuigahama."
"You what?"
"Yuigahama was with his friends. They were playing at a stall together."
Hachikuji is surprised to feel anger welling up in her.
"Then why did you run away? What were you thinking? I-"
"I didn't want to spoil your mood by talking to someone who would only make you angry. Can we enjoy the fireworks without having to worry about past conflicts, or starting a new one?" Yukinoshita interrupts Hachikuji, effectively silencing her. With the obvious blush on Yukinoshita's face, Hachikuji can almost imagine him saying "I don't want to spoil our date" instead.
"I-I see. Well, I suppose that makes sense." It would be a bad idea to disagree with Yukinoshita at this point. Besides, she has no idea how to deal with Yuigahama either.
A lengthy silence ensues.
"Let's continue." Hachikuji says finally. She can't shake away the nagging feeling in her heart, though. What is wrong with her? Yukinoshita has asked her out (sort of), and all he wants is for their relationship not to deteriorate, especially after they both agreed to reset it. Playing the role of the gentleman, Yukinoshita extends a hand to her. Refusing to conform to any role, Hachikuji gets up by herself.
Soon, both of them are walking through the stalls again. This time, as per Yukinoshita's suggestion, they stop to play a few games. Judging from Yukinoshita's skill at most of the stalls, Hachikuji can tell that Yukinoshita is no newcomer to these festival games. Or maybe he's just got superior reflexes and hand-eye coordination to match his superior intellect. Some people just have it all.
She begins to wonder how good Yuigahama is at stall games. She quashes the thought.
Yukinoshita walks back to Hachikuji, who is waiting at a lampost right next to the fishing stall. He raises up a bag full of fish and his mouth twitches upwards.
"That was close. I almost didn't catch any."
This hurts.
Why do I feel so uncomfortable? Why does this feel so wrong? Yukinoshita has been nothing short of a perfect date partner, if Hachikuji's extremely limited dating experience is any indication.
"Shall we go onto another stall?" Yukinoshita looks expectantly at Hachikuji, who coughs and looks away. Why is he so earnest? Are the stalls that fun? Still, Hachikuji nods and follows Yukinoshita, who has already grabbed her hand and begun pulling her towards the food stalls.
Yukinoshita buys a bag of Yakitori and hands it to her, before purchasing one for himself.
"Hot!" Hachikuji spits out the chicken, which is so hot she can barely feel her tongue. Still, it's obviously tasty, and she can already feel the warmth from the snack going down her throat.
This is a classic date moment. The kind of scene Komachi would watch while squealing like a fangirl.
This really hurts.
(Somehow she doesn't feel like it refers to her scorched throat.)
But enough of that! Think happier thoughts, happier thoughts... what a delicious snack! Maybe Hachikuji should come back to this stall later for another bag. It really is tasty.
"Shall we go to another stall?" Yukinoshita asks the same question for the upteenth time. He seems to have noticed the change in her mood, and is desperately trying to downplay it. Hachikuji feels bad for him.
Nevertheless, there is nothing she can do about it. Nodding again, she familiarises herself with the feeling of getting pulled along.
Suddenly, as they are making their way through the sea of people, a bang resounds from the sky, and the people around them begin to scream in surprise and excitement. Looking up, Hachikuji realises that the fireworks have started. With vibrant blues, reds and pinks, the world around Hachikuji is painted in multicolour and flashes brilliantly, pulsing in rhythm. The sight is beautiful, and Hachikuji turns to look at Yuig- Yukinoshita, who is still holding her hand and is blushing furiously.
This really, really, hurts.
Yukinoshita tightens his grip and turns around. When their eyes meet, Yukinoshita flashes a tentative smile at Hachikuji, which fades in an instant.
"Hikigaya-san, you're crying."
Hachikuji moves her hand to her face, and flinches when it comes back wet.
"...Eh?"
Yukinoshita is smiling again. But this time, the smile is a lot more resigned.
"I'm sorry for forcing this... excursion on you."
Hachikuji blinks back tears. "No, it's not that, I'm really enjoying… I really want to enjoy this festival! I'm perfectly fine!" But the pain in Hachikuji's eyes only stings harder, forcing more tears out.
Hachikuji chokes when Yukinoshita grabs her shoulders.
"Hikigaya-san, I understand why you want to see Yuigahama-san, and I see why you need to resolve your differences. It was wrong of me to force this upon you, and I apologise for overlooking your feelings. So what I'm getting at is… I'll be joining my sister in the VIP area now. Whatever you do during this period of time is none of my business."
Hachikuji looks up. But through her tears, and the brilliant display of rainbow coloured fireworks in the background, and the roar of the crowd, she cannot see Yukinoshita's face. It's fine, it doesn't matter now. This is Yukinoshita, after all; Hachikuji is sure that he can take a hit or two. She has more important things to do right now.
"Alright." Hachikuji nods, wiping her tears away before turning and running.
"Now with that cleared up, I guess I'll enjoy the fireworks too." Yukinoshita says aloud, setting out for the VIP area. How ironic, he thinks. I'm the one who feels like crying the most.
…
Hachikuji sprints through the crowd, most of which has stopped to stare at the fireworks. It's much easier to maneuver through, now that everyone is stationary. Does she want to make up with Yuigahama that badly, or is it something else? It's a mystery even to herself.
Yuigahama-!
Part 4
It's been a while since Yuigahama has been with his friends, so he's a little out of it. They don't seem to mind, but he is certain that his very presence is making the clique just a bit more awkward. Despite his assurances that he has long gotten over her, Yumiko-san has been avoiding him the entire time, subconsciously steering the rest of the group away from him. Despite his attempts to join in the conversation several times over the past few minutes, all he has achieved is making things more awkward. So he's stopped trying.
Despite Hayato-kun's mildly concerned stares, Yuigahama walks at the back of the group silently, playing the role of the observer. He doesn't blame them, of course. In fact, it would be more awkward if they acted completely normally towards him after the previous events. Besides, interacting with Hikigaya-san and Yukinoshita-san extensively have certainly changed his outlook and personality, if but just a little. He did join the Service Club knowing that his interactions with his other friends would never be the same, after all.
Before he and Hachikuji had their argument at the workplace visit, he had originally planned to go to the summer festival with her instead. Would it have been as awkward as this, he wonders?
Hold it right there! Stop that train of thought!
As if defying his subconscious order, a memory flashes past his eyes. Hachikuji and Yukinoshita, sitting together at the mall. Sitting together, on a weekend, dressed in casual clothes. What were they doing? No, it's obvious what they were doing, but…
Yuigahama forcefully suppresses his thoughts, and decides to focus on the group in front of him. It seems that they have started yet another petty squabble. Hayama, ever the good guy, is breaking them up with another award-winning smile.
What's with that way of thinking? He's starting to sound like Hikigaya-san now. Yuigahama smiles, trying to get rid of the uncomfortable feeling in his chest.
"...What do you think, Yuichi?" Yamato-kun suddenly turns to him and blurts out a question. Panicking, Yuigahama raises up his hands and takes a step back.
"Me? Huh?"
Yamato looks back at the rest of the group and sighs. "Indecision again, huh. Well, it wasn't a good idea to, like, ask you for love advice. I mean, you confessed to Yumiko! What kind of idiot would do that? You know what I mean?" He says this in jest, and bursts into good-natured laughter immediately after just to prove it.
The rest of the group follows suit, like part of a badly rehearsed script. "Yeah man, isn't it, like, obvious that Yumiko likes-" Tobe-kun stops himself, and the rest of the group stares to look at Hayama. He blinks back blankly.
"What?"
"A-Anyway, how're you doing after Yumiko rejected you like that? Any new love interests? Tell us, dude!" Yamato hurriedly breaks the silence, putting an arm around Yuigahama. Yumiko-san looks away, unsure of what to do.
Girls, huh.
Hachikuji flashes across Yuigahama's mind for a moment, but Yuigahama hurriedly quashes the thought away once again. "Well, you know, it, like, takes time to get over a crush and so on, haha..."
The rest of the group seems satisfied with that answer. "Yeah dude, I feel you! Haha, for a moment I thought you might have a new crush on that girl in the weird club you joined. You know, the one who begged Yumiko for chocolates or something... since you've been sticking around her and all that."
"Oh yeah, her. I completely forgot about her. She was, like, so weird at that time. What's with her, man?"
For possibly the first time since he joined the clique, Yuigahama interrupts Tobe's words. "Hey. Hikigaya-san isn't a bad person. She's not used to talking to people and she doesn't see the need to, but she's not-" He stops when he realises that everyone is staring at him.
"She's not what?" They ask in unison.
"...Nothing." Yuigahama looks down at his feet and decides to end the conversation there. When he looks up, the others have already continued their idle conversation, but Hayama still stares intently at him. After a while Hayama flashes another brilliant smile and looks away, but the discomfort in Yuigahama's chest only grows.
"Hey, let's go for the fortune telling next!" Hayato-kun suggests, and the rest of the group cheerily agrees regardless of individual opinion. Hikigaya-san was right, Yuigahama thinks, this clique really does revolve around him.
... It's not like they're bad people, they really aren't, but over the course of the past few months Yuigahama has come to realise that his discomfort with their shallow interactions is steadily growing. Or maybe it's just a side effect from joining the Service Club.
Before his train of thought can progress any further, the group starts moving. Yuigahama follows suit.
…...
Is that Yukinoshita-san?
The familiar head of raven-black hair moves through the crowd. With the massive throng of people milling around, Yuigahama just barely catches a glimpse of his stony face before he disappears.
Nah, it can't be.
...
"Damn! I got bad luck! What a bummer, man! Oh dear god, I'll pray for the next month."
"Stop joking, dude! We all know you're not gonna go to the shrine at all. I got bad luck too! We're, like, bad luck buddies!"
As the rest of the group laughs, Yuigahama stares at his fortune.
"Great Luck. Today, you might be able to find the one you truly love. Things will work out well with them. Don't be afraid to try new things."
Once again, Hachikuji's face flashes across Yuigahama's mind, making his heart flutter for a moment. But then, the image of Hachikuji and Yukinoshita sitting together at the mall once again flashes across his mind.
What is this feeling? Yuigahama's chest feels constricted, and he has to try increasingly hard to keep up the smile plastered on his face, but he can already feel his facial muscles pushing it down.
Suddenly, with a loud explosion of sound, the world surrounding Yuigahama is dappled in beautiful blue light.
"Fireworks!" A loud shout from Yamato makes Yuigahama look up at the sky, where the fireworks display has already begun. A million beautiful droplets of colour, streaking across the sky, exploding in magnificent flowers of fire.
The rest of the group is already cheering, and some of them have begun to shout.
"Imagine what it would be like to watch these fireworks with a girlfriend!"
"That would never happen, dude! As if any of us could get a girl!" They laugh again.
The face of Hachikuji flashes across Yuigahama's mind again, and a burst of emotion he cannot suppress this time rushes to the forefront.
Hayama, observant as always, notices the tear that rolls down Yuigahama's cheek.
"What's up, Yuichi-kun? You feeling ok?"
Yuigahama hurriedly wipes the droplet away before anyone else notices. "Yeah, I gotta go use the washroom. You guys can go ahead, I'll catch up."
Hayama looks back at Yuigahama with a questioning look, but nods.
He doesn't make it to the toilet.
…
Yuigahama uses the bench as a support before he stumbles over. Turning around to the grass behind the bench, his overboiled emotions finally dominate his stomach. He vomits.
Hikigaya-san awkwardly smiling after realising that Yuigahama was the owner of the dog she saved, eyes betraying her shock and realisation.
Hurl.
Hikigaya-san's face, contorted with anger when accusing Yuigahama of pitying her. An expression of distrust, disgust, and disappointment.
Hurl.
Hikigaya-san smiling and talking to Yukinoshita at the mall, before fading into awkwardness upon spotting Yuigahama.
Hurl.
Why does he care about her to this extent? Why would he care about how she thinks of him? Has he been so used to being liked by others that he is bothered by one particular girl hating him? Does he like her that much? Or is it out of gratitude? A sense of obligation? Guilt? He doesn't know. He doesn't know.
Yuigahama Yuichi's emotions continue to boil and simmer in his stomach. Frustrated tears stream down his face.
No, this is all wrong, but why!? Why did it end up like this? I can't-
"Yuigahama." The sudden, familiar voice jolts Yuigahama, causing him to whip around.
And standing right in front of him is an awkward, flustered, panting, and slightly annoyed Hikigaya Hachikuji.
...
In the night summer sky, the fireworks show obliviously carries on.
Part 5
Yuigahama stares at Hachikuji, who is now bent over, panting heavily. Eventually she looks up. "What's up with you? Food poisoning?"
Why are you here? But if you were here, and Yukinoshita was… I see.
Another sting of pain issues from Yuigahama's chest, and he smiles awkwardly. So they were on a date. "Nothing serious. Go on, you won't want to keep Yukinon waiting."
Hachikuji's head whips up to stare back angrily at Yuigahama, which makes Yuigahama snap out of his thoughts in shock.
"Don't give me that bullshit."
Eh?
Hachikuji brushes herself off and stands back up.
"Me and Yukinoshita aren't dating, you idiot."
Ehhhh!?
Yuigahama recalls the scene at the mall. What was that, if not a date? While Yuigahama is still pondering this, Hachikuji tosses him a small box. Yuigahama, despite his surprise, manages to catch it. It's barely the size of his fist, and is wrapped in a blue floral wrapping paper.
"This was… kind of an apology, I guess? You know, with all the arguments and stuff, we really botched the Service Club dynamic." Hachikuji has noticed that Yuigahama is staring intently at her, and she looks away while mumbling this.
"So basically, when we went to the mall, we were buying a birthday gift for you. Yeah, that was it. There's no way me and Yukinoshita would go out, not with his incredibly sharp tongue and his terrible sense of hu-" Hachikuji can see Yuigahama's flushed face from the corner of her vision, and she stops herself, blushing furiously.
"What I'm saying is, don't go off by yourself and assume things like that about us!"
Yuigahama continues to stare at Hachikuji. Listening to Hachikuji's explanation has made him happy? Relieved? Yuigahama can barely understand or sort out his feelings. Looking at Hachikuji, he realises that he has somehow failed to notice how good she looks in her yukata all this while. He takes note of it now.
Fervent cheering and screaming, and the continuous popping of the fireworks in the background fills up the silence between them. For some reason, Yuigahama can see a red tint on Hachikuji's face, and wonders if it's just a trick of the light.
Today, you might be able to find the one you truly love.
Yuigahama can feel his ears becoming red hot, and valiantly tries to ignore this.
"I don't want to lose this. The service club, and you. Yukinon, too. Both of you are so important to me I wouldn't know what to do if I lost you guys," Yuigahama blurts out and regrets it almost immediately.
Hachikuji sighs and seats herself next to Yuigahama.
"Neither do I. I've told both of you many times, but I chose the path of the loner. But that doesn't mean that I… don't want to associate with you guys? Well, either way, it would be nice if we didn't have to end up as strangers."
Ah. That's good to hear
Yuigahama smiles and nods.
Hachikuji upon seeing Yuigahama's expression, blushes once again and turns away, speaking with a more annoyed tone.
"Look. A lot of unhappy things have happened, and remembering them would only make our time in the Service Club even more awkward. So Yukinoshita suggested this to me, and I think it'll work here too. Something like a reset? We start from zero as strangers, no, as acquaintances. We reset our relationships, and move on from there."
A reset, huh. Yukinoshita remembers the arguments, and the painful emotions once again. Maybe a reset isn't so bad after all. But he once again has a nagging feeling in his heart, and this time he realises it's useless to hold it in. Not after he's gotten the chance to finally make things right.
Don't be afraid to try new things.
Yuigahama steels himself.
"No. Not a reset."
"But-"
"Not a reset. I want to make up with both of you. I don't want to throw out these memories, because they are a part of me. They may be unhappy, and unforgiving, and make us uncomfortable, but they are my memories! My memories of me, you, and Yukinoshita. We aren't acquaintances, and definitely not strangers! Don't write off your precious memories so easily!"
Hachikuji looks surprised at Yuigahama's declaration. Yuigahama doesn't blame her; He's surprised at himself too.
"But if we don't reset-"
"No, not a reset. Let's make up. I want to cherish the memories we've made. I want to remember how we met, and how we argued. But I want to move on too! So let's make up, right here and now."
A brief pause issues as Hachikuji stares at Yuigahama wordlessly. He pauses, but stands up. Don't falter now, Yuigahama Yuichi! He holds out a trembling hand towards Hachikuji, swallowing his saliva. His throat feels drier than ever, but he doesn't care.
"I'm sorry for everything. Let's continue to get along."
Hachikuji stares at the hand wordlessly. She certainly didn't expect something like this out of Yuigahama. Perhaps she should revise her expectations. She laughs as she takes Yuigahama's hand, and Yuigahama pulls her up.
A firework explodes, and the air is once again painted vivid in beautiful hues of colour. The two friends (more than that, perhaps?) stare at each other and smile. Yet another cliched moment for Komachi to squeal at. Hachikuji feels mortified, even more so when she realises that she doesn't care in the slightest.
"Um, how do I say this... Yuigahama, th-"
Another cheer from the crowd drowns out Hachikuji's next line, but Yuigahama understands anyway.
…...
"You got dumped, didn't you, Yukio-chan?" Yukinoshita Haruno smiles a semi-malicious, semi-playful smile and prods her younger brother's side. "Come on, you can tell your loving Onee-san anything, y'know!"
Yukio doesn't respond, a stark contrast to the usual scathing retort. Huh, Haruno muses inwardly, he's got it pretty bad.
Silence hangs between them while the myriads of colour explode above them. Then, as if talking more to himself than to her, her little brother speaks up.
"It may appear so, but it was all calculated on my part. I invited Hikigaya-san out here knowing that Yuigahama-san would attend as well, and that this event would be the perfect opportunity for both of them to settle their differences. This is all for the sake of the group dynamic of the service club, which is nothing to concern yourself with, Nee-san."
The way he tries to conceal his turmoiled emotions is almost painful to watch. Haruno rifles through a mental list of insults and taunts, and eventually settles for a weak response. "I see. What a dedicated club president!"
"J-Just watch the fireworks, will you? You have to look like a proper representative of our family."
"Same goes for you!" she cheerfully returns.
The world is her plaything, but this is her little brother after all. Just for this one night, Haruno decides, she'll spare him.
END OF CHAPTER 5
Author's note: The word count has been dropping for the previous chapters, so I took extra care to make this one a little longer :D
P.S. I'm glad to see that 008 got such a positive reaction! Rest assured, chapter 3 is in the works!