(A/N): Looking for beta readers. Also, the Shuuchin Arc is two parts,

Hikigaya in Middle School w/ Kei, Ishigami, Miko Iino.

Then, Hikigaya in High School, w/ Miyuki, Ryuuju, Toyomi.

Would you guys rather that I conclude season 1, then do the full two parts of the Shuuchin Arc, before returning to the present timeline, or would you rather that I release part 1: Middle School, then return to the present timeline, and then release part: 2? I'm curious to hear your responses and reasoning.

The air was thick with the smell of fried food. Vendors called for passersby's to purchase their wares. Children squealed in glee or shrieked in despair as they played carnival games. The crowd's warmth permeated the ground, augmenting the humid heat of Japanese summer.

I smoothed my kimono. Enjoying the supple silk on my hairless skin. I stood stock still, all the better to avoid being swept up in the crowd. Suddenly, I was engulfed by a pair of warm arms and I would've flipped the unknown assailant if they hadn't called out my name.

"Yukinon!" Yuigahama nuzzled into the nape of my neck, her chest pressing into my back. She laughed and swept around me. Now putting her hands on my shoulders, her face close to mine.

I felt a heat build in my cheeks. Partly at the unexpected contact and close proximity but mostly because of the strange looks that the crowd were throwing our way."Yuigahama, this is not appropriate." I hissed, sliding back a step.

"Relax, Yukinon, it's like we're doing anything wrong." Her brown eyes twinkled. "Now, let's find Hikki." She offered her arm and I looped mine through hers.

We strolled through the grounds and it gave me a chance to look at her outfit. She wore a modern and colorful Kimono with her hair in a bun. She was the picture opposite of me, as I was in a traditional pure white kimono but had let my hair down.

Eventually, we reached a large hill, and both groused at Hikigaya's inability to be punctual tonight. But his tardiness wasn't all bad as it gave me and Yuigahama a chance to openly converse.

"Yuigahama, I'm extremely grateful that you extended the invite to me." I inclined my head toward her, if anyone asked about the flush on my face, I would say that it was because of the heat.

"Call me Yui." She chided, poking me gently. "Besides we're friends there's no need to thank me. I wanted you here, so I asked. I like spending time with you, Yukinon." I stood frozen, mouth slightly agape. Yui sighed and pushed my lower jaw up, closing my mouth. "Honestly, you'll catch flies like that. You and Hikki are always looking for hidden motives. Not everything is as deep as you think it is."

"Th-thank you, Yui." I stammered. My demeanor was thrown off by her genuine friendliness. She beamed at me when I used her first name, and her smile made the discomfort worth it.

"Am I interrupting something?" A weary voice croaked from behind us. We turned to see our sardonic, clubmate approach.

Hikigaya was clad in a high-rank but informal Kimono, it was deep forest green and he was wearing all three components. The hakama (skirt), nagagi (kimono), and haori (overcoat). The nagagi and haori were shades of green to match his eyes, while the hakama was a stark white and provided contrast.

After a brief examination of his garb, which had him shift back slightly, Yui and I exchanged worried looks. The clothing he wore was certainly not because he felt like dressing up and was almost definitely an effort for deception.

The colors were chosen with an emphasis on hiding how pale and sallow his current complexion was. The formal dress was great for concealing additional weight loss, the only reason that I could tell was the way his eye sockets jutted out. The bags under his eyes had grown bigger and darker than they were before, making his eyes pop more than usual. His usually maintained hairstyle was matted and clumped like he had been tearing at it out of stress.

All in all, he looked bad. Worse than I'd ever seen him before. I approached the way that I'd learned from horseback riding. The way that I'd use to approach a sick and frightened animal. "Hikigaya, let's grab some food and then sit down." I tried cautiously.

Yui marched to his side and curled an arm around him. To others, it may have looked like a possessive move but in reality, she was bracing him, while subtly checking how much weight he had lost. Judging by the wince on her face, the situation wasn't good.

Hikigaya didn't even put up a token of resistance when Yui dragged him along. Merely letting her lead him around. I stomped down the urge to grab him and demand to know what was wrong, it would only distance us and upset him.

Worry and unease bubbled in my stomach as I walked next to him and Yui. It reached a boiling point when Yui stepped away for a second to grab a box of Yakitori and Hikigaya wobbled like an old tree in a gale. I stepped in immediately, pressing into his side to make sure he didn't fall. Yui looked back with a grateful nod but I waved it off, this is what friends did for each other.

Normally this level of proximity would have embarrassed me but right now all that I could think about was getting him somewhere where he could sit down. With my arm guiding him along and Yui a step ahead we headed to a less busy hill on the other side of the festival.

We were making good time and had avoided bumping into any others despite Hikigaya's sluggishness. That was until the only approachable member of our trio was approached.

"OMG, Yui. What are you doing here?" An unfamiliar voice but somewhat familiar face popped out of the crowd. Followed by two other semi-recognizable faces.

"Hii, Sagamin!" Yui nodded but used a tone that implied that she was busy. I again felt pride for Yui, who had once been a doormat, now she was someone who would stand up for a friend. I found that trait extremely admirable.

After Yui spoke her nickname, I matched her face to the name. Sagami Minami, Class 2-f. Sagami looked past her and stared at Hikigaya and me. She smirked, "Yui, sweetie, it's clear the lovebirds want some privacy; how about you come along with me, hmmm?" Her tone positively dripped with condescension as she nodded to me.

Sagami probably believed that she had acquired a prime piece of gossip. She looked as satisfied as a cat that caught the canary and got away with it too. Yui shrunk in on herself, unsure what to do. I slowly removed myself from Hikigaya and stepped forward.

Yui has grown a lot, but she still has her moments of weakness and indecision. "Whatever you believe, you are clearly misinterpreting the present information. Yui is a welcome member of our group and I was merely supporting Hikigaya because he was feeling faint." My glare dared them to respond, to try and talk down to my friend again. My foe had no choice but to bow and glare resentfully as she and her cronies walked away.

Hikigaya shuffled in from behind us. "Let's get to the top of the hill and eat. I am feeling kind of tired." He started marching up the path, his course unchanging. People made way for him, as Yui and I grabbed his arms to guide him through the crowd.

The crowd shot us questionable glares, probably assuming him to be some sort of rich kid, and us his compensated dates. But again I found myself without the capacity to care. Let them think what they may. Right now I have a friend to help.

If nothing else, I could appreciate that Hikigaya was leading us away from the VIP area; and subsequently, my sister. She would have invited herself to follow along and made a nuisance for me.

Hikigaya collapses into an empty bench. Slumping onto it like a rag doll with cut strings. He glanced at me and Yui before sighing and struggling back to his feet. "You guys forgot the drinks, I'll be back in a minute."

I watched helplessly, were we really close enough for me to stop him? The enormity of this leap in our relationship, weighed me down and held me back. Yui on the other hand leaped without looking, she ran up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder, holding him back.

"Hikki, sit down. You're tired, let us handle this." Instead of the plea I was expecting, her eyes were hard, and her lips frowned.

"Yui, I appreciate the gesture-" she cut him off and pulled him back.

"That's not going to work, sit down and wait for us Hikki." She pushes him towards the bench.

"That seems the optimal course of action for the moment, Hikigaya. You are evidently operating at a sub-optimal capacity compared to your previous abilities." I warned, crossing my arms and standing next to Yui.

He capitulated, nodding to us, before making himself comfortable. I didn't even tease him on his breach of decorum by taking up so much public space. What has the world come to?

I walked away with Yuigahama, intertwining our arms, as we, once more, braved the heat and bustle of the crowds. We pushed through to a drink vendor and waited, impatiently, for our turn in line. We purchased two drinks for each of us, a suggestion of mine.

When we first caught sight of Hikigaya he was talking to an enormous man, dressed traditionally and towering above the crowds. But before we could see more of him, our mysterious quarry walked away, the throng of people splitting before him like Moses.

We reached Hikigaya, and again I shoved my curiosity downwards and focused on his well-being.

"Hikki, dummy you shouldn't've waited, now some of it will be cold." Yui pointed at him, while biting into a candy apple, pulled from the bag.

He shrugged in response, looking away.

"Food has a tendency to taste better when eaten with others." I defended him; in a family where meals were rarely shared and those that were, in layman's terms, sucked; I could appreciate the gesture. "It's a proven fact, social eating is also better in- yow" Yui poked me in the side, cutting me off before I could extol the virtues of social consumption.

"It's okay to admit that you want to eat with your friends." She gestured with the candied apple, forcing Hikigaya and me to lean back or be exposed to the sticky aerosol.

Neither of us responded, and Yui sighed but chose not to press. She pulled more styrofoam and cardboard containers from our bags and laid them down around us.

We each began to eat, the only sounds for a few minutes being quiet chewing, small sips of water, and exclamations from Yui about how the food 'was so delish' etc.

Hikigaya ate slowly, more moving food around in his makeshift bowl than actually eating it. He swiped a cup of soda that Yui had bought, then my cup of iced tea, but we barely protested; more a token struggle than actual enmity. By the way, he gulped those down, then a cup and a half of water, this may have been his first real hydration of the day.

After Yui had badgered him into at least finishing a few skewers of food, she and I disposed of the trash, telling Hikigaya to watch our purses. A method to keep him in place, without tipping him off that we were concerned.

We returned to him and our purses safe and sound. He held a festival brochure in his hand and was scrolling on his phone. He startled when we called his name, again very unusual for someone as observant as him.

We sat on either side, and he put away the distractions. Yui spoke first, as I idled nervously, unsure of how to proceed. "Hikki, we're worried about you. You're obviously not doing well, what's wrong?" She spoke with the grace of a sledgehammer, but Hikigaya did seem receptive to her words.

"My problems, well, their not as profound as seems appropriate for my level of distress." He warned.

"Hikigaya, your wants and desires are just as important as anyone else's. Furthermore, comparing your problems is counterproductive." I finished, tone stern.

"I don't want to be an imposition on anyone." He sighed, burying his head in his hands.

"Hikki, this isn't something that we think we need to do this is something that we want to do. We're your friends, we're here for you." Yui declared.

I was frozen, happy Yui said what I was feeling but still embarrassed at the degree of vulnerability from not denying her claim.

Hikigaya looked pensive, staring at the river where the fireworks were set to launch. "Friends, huh." He muttered. "Thanks."

He sighed, took a sip of water, and only then began explaining. "It started when I got back from my trip to Kyoto."

~/~

"And that's where we are now. I've barely talked to them since and I don't know what to do." He wipes his forehead, clearing a bead of sweat.

"Hikigaya, you're under no obligation to forgive them, or revive your relationship with them." I clenched my fist. My parents for all their faults had at least never layed a hand on me. "There are no excuses for the way that they treated you."

"Sometimes, it feels like I had absent parents. Sometimes I wish that they were, maybe it would've been easier." He glanced apologetically at Yui. "Sorry." He muttered.

"Don't be, my mom is awesome and was always more than enough for me." Yui replied, toying with the strap on her phone.

I glanced at Yui, who smiled back. "Since Hikki knows it's only fair that you know too. My parents had me young, like last year of high school, young. When my mom found out, she told my dad but he didn't want a baby. He offered to pay for an abortion, but Mom refused. When she wouldn't budge, he left, and never came back. When my mom's family found out they kicked her out." She explained.

I hummed in acknowledgment, doubting that Yui wanted me to say I was sorry to hear that or that must've been tough. "Your mom sounds like a very strong woman." I complimented with a lack of anything more meaningful to add. However, I absolutely meant what I said. I could hardly imagine raising a child after college, let alone now.

Yui squinted at Hikigaya. "My mom told you." It wasn't a question, just an acknowledgment.

"Sort've" He replied. "I had a fair idea of how it happened, by clues in your household when I came over for dinner, but your mom told me. I think she wanted to help you by saving you an uncomfortable conversation, and see what type of friend I was." I nodded at his response, even when exhausted he was intuitively observant.

It felt like my two 'friends' had opened up about themselves in a vulnerable way. Something that I was still too hesitant to do. They didn't demand it, but I offered the best that I could bear to reveal. "I live alone because I wanted to get away from my mother. She tries to run every aspect of my life and often succeeds. My father was okay with it but my mother hated the idea. Ultimately he thought the points that I made were fair, and that it would teach me independence." I blushed, feeling more exposed than I had since middle school but also feeling less alone. I had let them be closer than anyone else, they had breached another one of my walls.

I wasn't sure that I liked the feeling, but I didn't quite dislike it either. Any more conversation was cut off by the fireworks blooming midair, to gasps of awe from the crowd. Yui and I both got to our feet to watch the display better, I glanced back at Hikigaya, slumped on the bench, asleep. Better to let him sleep, he definitely needs it.

Yui oohed and ahhed along with the crowd, for about ten minutes while I stood silently. After the climax of the show, I returned back to the bench with Yui.

Hikigaya was still slumped back, but something was wrong. He was wheezing and rasping like each breath was some herculean effort to intake and release. He wasn't responding as Yui's shakes of him gradually got more intense.

Hearing the sickly wheezing was terrifying, but the panic only really set in a minute later, when it stopped entirely.