"I'm sorry I got lost." Kaguya said humbly, "Though this is my first time here. Without any sort of preparation too."
"It can't be helped." Chika said smugly, "We should go out more often, Kaguya-san."
Kaguya felt miffed inside, though she didn't show it. Instead, she looked at Komachi. "I'm really unfamiliar when it comes to shopping for clothes like this, so it might be bothersome to you."
"No, not really." Komachi said cheerfully, "Anyone would be confused if they're in that kind of situation."
"Kaguya-san's clothes are all ordered, so she's never gone to buy clothes on her own," Chika explained.
Both Komachi and Kei's eyes bulged out in response
Would you please be quiet for a moment, Fujiwara-san? Kaguya always knew that Chika could be smug, but today she seemed to be a little overbearing. At this point, she was only a hair's breadth away from being a parasite!
Perhaps Kaguya needed to get rid of her, permanently...
But Kaguya was too tired to do that, and she was in a good mood at the moment so she'd let it slide.
Maybe Kaguya could use this to her benefit. Use Komachi as a distraction. Surely that's a good plan? If Chika was unwilling to let go of both girls, then Kaguya would just be upfront about it.
Rework the plan from the ground up using available information on the field... Kaguya just realized, this was how the President had always done it.
One common military adage she often heard was that there was no certainty that a plan would survive contact with the enemy. There were many variations of this phrase and Kaguya wasn't entirely sure where it came from.*
However, this was also where Miyuki's greatest flaw always lain: Miyuki never followed a guided measure as a followup. That's why, if Kaguya wanted to beat him, she needed to be better at the measured response.
"Shirogane-san." Kaguya asked, "If it's not a bother, could you please teach me how to buy clothes in stores like this?"
"Umm, you just try the clothes, and if it fits, then you go pay for it?" Kei awkwardly supplied an explanation.
Kaguya tilted her head with a confused smile. It seemed like Kei expected too much out of her. Or maybe too little. Maybe a bit of both...
Awawawa, I'm too nervous! Kei thought to herself. Kei looked in Komachi and Chika's direction, both sported similarly smug expressions. Because of this, Kei felt a little miffed.
That's right!
Shirogane Kei was born and raised in a poor family, as such, she had to be strict when it came to shopping for clothes. She had to balance price points and quality no matter what. And because of this, Shirogane Kei was an expert on picking just the right clothes from right off the rack!
She'd show them!
"I'm sorry, you probably want to ask about coordination." Kei said, "Most top brand clothes usually came in sets, but when it comes to cost-saving it's better to mix and match models and brands to create something fresh and original. For this reason, we have to decide whether the style you want is leaning either formal or casual."
"I can certainly imagine the formal style of clothing, but how casual are we talking about here?" Kaguya said, half lying.
Truthfully, aside from ball dresses, the only formal types of clothing she knew about were a couple different types of suits, her school uniform, and also traditional Japanese dress.
"For example, if you consider a Cardigan combined with jeans, it would look less formal than if you wore it with slacks or a plain skirt-"
As Kei demonstrated her knowledge of clothing, Chika and Komachi also busied themselves with their own conversation.
"I'm sorry, Komachi-chan."
"Hmm?"
"You must've been longing to spend time with Kei-chan together." Chika said regretfully, "That's why you're so anxious now."
"What are you talking about Chika-san." Komachi dismissively waved her hand, "I can always meet Kei-chan anytime, but meeting you wouldn't be this easy normally."
"Really?"
"Onii-chan can be a little dense, but please forgive him." Komachi sighed, "Even though he's surrounded by so many pretty girls like you, he only complains all the time. What did you and Momo-san do to make him so annoyed?"
Chika felt like she'd been stabbed through the heart; she almost coughed blood!
Could it be that Komachi really had a bad impression of the girls around Hachiman, particularly Chika herself? After all, she always dragged him around against his wishes.
And Chika wasn't the only one!
"Well. The truth is I'm nervous. Everyone here is so amazing and I feel overwhelmed." Komachi said, "As someone who has a slim hope of entering Shuchiin, Komachi just can't help but feel out of place."
Well, Komachi certainly was as frank as her brother. But... Chika could certainly understand Komachi's worrying and confidence issues. At times even Chika herself couldn't help but be envious of her sisters.
Especially her big sister. Father had given up on her, and in return her big sister had absolute freedom to do whatever she wanted, or at least close enough to it.
"Hikki-san gets along with girls easily because he never shows any hidden intention toward us," Chika said, reminiscing. "He might be rude sometimes, but that's why you can trust him to respect boundaries. Hikki-san is the type of man who values personal space the most, so he will not impinge himself on someone else unless he knows you're comfortable with him."
It wasn't like Chika didn't reap anything from being close to him. Ever since she had met him in the student council, the number of boys who confessed to her had reduced vastly. Some of them thought she and Hachiman dating. Others simply felt they were unable to measure themselves to him to even have a chance with her. Hachiman was surrounded by powerful people, and that was why he was respected and feared by most students.
Who would have thought that Hachiman achieved all of this simply by being true to himself?
Komachi looked at Chika knowingly.
"What do you think about Onii-chan, Chika-san?"
If anyone else had been asked this, they might have blushed in embarrassment... or paled in disgust. However, Chika simply replied with an ambiguous smile without changing her cheerful expression. "It's kind of amazing that he's lived alone, yet, he can still obtain good grades, and befriend many people in the process. Hikki-san can be a little mysterious, yet, once you get to know him you find out that he's a very laid back person who has nothing to hide." Chika smiled brightly, "But that's what makes him more interesting."
There was a weird pause followed by a slight hint of confusion, but Chika continued. "As a friend that is."
Komachi decided not to pursue the matter further.
"How about you Komachi-chan? Do you like President?"
"In every sense of that word." Komachi melancholically told her, "But Komachi is nothing more than a second little sister to him, and Komachi is fine with that."
Chika didn't believe that she would let it go at that, "Is that so?"
"Maybe once Komachi enters high school, then he'll treat me differently." The younger girl shrugged.
Chika felt that for a moment, Komachi lost her childish face and grin. It was just a split second, but in that split second alone Komachi showed Chika a brief glimpse of a beautiful sight.
The sight of a maiden in love.
"But for the moment, Komachi is doing just fine!"
Komachi really was a tough one. Her rivals better be careful! Komachi was this mature and cunning despite being only fourteen years old. God knows what she would be like at sixteen!
"Komachi-chan really loves him, huh?" Chika hummed, "I'm kind of envious."
Chika could hardly imagine herself being so madly in love. For her, her future aspirations and casual fun took precedence over romance.
"Komachi admires him a lot." Komachi softly told her, "Hachi-nii is the type that gives up easily, but Miyuki-nii never gives up. For Miyuki-nii, there nothing's impossible, anything can be achieved as long as you put enough effort in it."
Miyuki, just like Komachi, wasn't like Kei and Hachiman.
Kei was a born genius, and Hachiman possessed good analytical and memorization skills. Someone like Kei belonged naturally to Shuchiin, and Hachiman only needed to put a little effort into hard study to be on top.
The flaws in Hachiman's grades had always been purely of his own making. It wasn't something that could be blamed on his ability to comprehend a subject. It was only due to lack of motivation, or an unwillingness to ask people for a second opinion. Yet, when he started to study seriously in his third year of middle school, he managed to qualify for a Shuchiin scholarship.
Komachi and Miyuki both were just ordinary teenagers who had difficulties comprehending the high standards that Shuchiin put on its students.
It wasn't an overstatement that Shuchiin students on average had to learn something two years in advance! As a matter of fact, Kei actually helped Komachi on her own homework before, despite being a year under her.
How much grueling work, difficulties, and pain had Miyuki suffered...
If she could put half that much effort into studying, Komachi could probably enter Shuchiin too. But for Komachi, that would be impossible.
Miyuki sacrificed way too much to stand at the top. And Komachi was not ready to tread such a rocky path. Perhaps this is why her feelings could never be requited.
Komachi continued, "Onii-chan is blessed with talent and potential, but he always wastes it by hesitating and doing nothing. But with Miyuki-nii around, Onii-chan is also motivated to work hard. It's only with Miyuki-nii around that Onii-chan can do his best."
Komachi talked big, but, deep down, she was as cynical as Hachiman. Only, Komachi relished and enjoyed the reality she lived in, rather than letting herself become jaded by it. That's why, when she noticed Chika's change of expression, she decided to change the subject of conversation.
"We're going to Gunma on a motorbike tomorrow," Komachi said giddily, reminding Chika of her schedule later. "I can't wait! It will be really fun!"
"Both of us joined the Council later so I always remember him having it all this time." Chika said, "He said he felt rebellious and spent his savings to get a license and bought a bike."
Komachi laughed so hard she ended up nearly doubled over holding her stomach, and it weirded Chika out enough to the point of leaving her speechless with her mouth agape.
"Eh?"
"Oniichan has been a good boy for his entire life, and I don't think he will stop being one anytime soon." Komachi laughed, "The truth is that Oniichan rides to Chiba to spend the weekend at home without having to walk too much from one train station to another. But he's probably too embarrassed to say that."
Chika's eyes widened in surprise. That was how much Hachiman cared about his family?
Hachiman was never the type to show off. Sometimes he even bitched about bike upkeep and everything that went into maintaining it. So having a motorbike wouldn't be something he considered a hobby or prestige.
At the end of the day, Hikigaya Hachiman had always been twisted, and his definition of common sense deviated from ordinary people. Nevertheless, he would still do what he thought was right.
He was a nice guy, despite his abrasive nature. Chika knew at least that much. But hearing this from Komachi only made her even more convinced!
"That's the Onii-chan that Kei-chan loves." Komachi grinned mischievously, "And of course, Komachi loves him too. As a little sister that is."
"That's why please keep this a secret between us~" Komachi winked mischievously, "Because it's rather unfair for Momo-san."
やはり, 彼らが望む告白は間違っている.
As expected, the Confession they want is wrong
Original Story by: Watari Wataru and Akasaka Aka
Written by: ZeroXSEED, Co-Writer/Editor: GoukaRyuu
Chapter 13 - Kaguya wants to know more...
"I see, so how about this and this?"
"You learn fast, Shi-shinomiya-san." Kei said, "But maybe if you mix this and this-"
Kaguya noticed Kei bit her tongue a bit, maybe she only had a tough exterior, but, just like her brother, she was actually mushy on the inside and easily influenced.
The way Kei behaved, talked, and even tasted... she really resembled President so much. It was as if Kaguya was out with President...
...Out with President? Wouldn't that be called a date?!
Kaguya blushed hard at the thought.
"Come to think of it, I've never seen President with casual clothes before." Kaguya switched the topic, "How does he usually dress at home?"
The horror on Kei's face was palpable. It was like she had come out of a haunted house without screaming. The deathly pale face that had seen too many things...
"Well, decently." Kei took a deep breath as if she was trying to forget something absolutely traumatic, "At least Hachi-nii helped to purge the worst of his collection. Onii-chan used to have a really bad taste in clothing. Or, rather, it was more... childish and juvenile?"
Childish? Juvenile?
"Like an eye-searing jacket, dark and edgy prints, pants two sizes too baggy, and too much contrast on shirt colors and patterns..." Kei shook her head in exasperation, "His tastes never got beyond those of an elementary school child I'm afraid."
Even if Kei said that, it wasn't as if Kaguya understood what that meant. After all, most of her peers came from wealthy families and the children always dressed prim and proper, almost too adult-like at times.
That was why Kaguya was entirely unfamiliar with what an ordinary elementary schoolboy sense of fashion would even be.
"...But at least he's willing to learn." Kei looked away, her voice brimmed with hints of regret. Kaguya wondered what kind of regret she was feeling.
She wondered why Kei despised her brother so much.
"Hachi-nii, he never minces words when it comes to the people around him." Kei said, a hint of redness drawn on her cheeks, "But unlike Miyuki-nii, he'll never unreasonably pry into people's business or keep nagging me about it."
"But that's why Miyuki-nii can trust him and would believe what he says." Kei said, "And when Hachi-nii says jump, Miyuki-nii only asks how high."
"Last year they invited us to Chiba to spend our summer vacation there." Kei told Kaguya about her experiences, "Hachi-nii taught him how to swim!"
"You spent a summer vacation together?" Kaguya raised her eyebrows.
"Well, their parents are always working and they weren't going to visit their relatives until late in the summer. So, they stayed home for the duration of the first half and invited us. That was the first time I got to meet Komachi-nee."
"We end up traveling all over Chiba in search of high-pay, part-time jobs, but it was really fun."
Kaguya felt a tinge of jealousy and regret.
At this point, Kaguya didn't know Miyuki all that much. Though Miyuki caused an uproar in the general student assembly, Kaguya still didn't see him as anything more than a talking weed.
At least, until the end of term exams had begun, and Miyuki said he would challenge her in grades. That was when Kaguya began to see him in a different light.
For Kaguya, she never knew what it was like to see Miyuki without Hachiman around him, or vice versa.
They were truly an inseparable pair.
Kaguya didn't say anything, but Kei noticed a hint of sadness and loneliness in her deep ruby-like eyes.
"Ah, sorry, I've just been talking about him all this time." Kei apologized, "You must be bored, Shinomiya-san."
"No, not really. If anything, I felt enlightened." Kaguya waved her hand, "If anything, it gave me a new perspective and I now see the President in a new light. We don't really spend much time together outside the council. So I only know about President from what he says about himself."
Well not entirely, objectively speaking. Kaguya had already done so much research on President. Whether it was his family situation or his general schedule and habits.
However, humans aren't automatons. They're not always rational and are prone to unexpected deviations to their routines. Event though Kaguya had gotten the big picture of the situation, it was the small picture, the little details, that she lacked.
Getting to know Kei not only would be good from an influence standpoint, but it would give Kaguya much-needed information to fill in those holes.
And so, after spending some money to buy some items together, the group met once again in the center of the plaza. Komachi didn't look like she had bought much, only a medium-sized travel bag that looked like it could carry a dozen or so pieces of clothing.
"Kei-chan." Komachi asked, "Is there anything you wanted to buy? Onii-chan's treat."
"No. There's no need." Kei said, "Komachi-nee shouldn't waste his money like that."
That was a lie!
Unlike her brother, Kei's pride had always been unshaken. She might be interested, but she wasn't a cheapskate! It was yet another reason why they didn't get along!
The thought of being treated and spoiled by Hachiman was certainly hard to pass up. Nevertheless, Kei would not give up resisting!
"Kei-chan, what a fool." Komachi grabbed her shoulders, then softly said, "Onii-chan will come to fetch us when we're finished, and don't you want to show off in front of him?"
Kei looked a bit conflicted.
"This money is something Onii-chan earned himself, and he's actually rather stingy. Chances like this won't come twice."
The defenses around Shirogane Kei began to show cracks!
"Imagine how sad he would be if you refused his treat. I'm sure Onii-chan would be happy if you accepted it." Komachi's face might look normal, but Kaguya shuddered for a moment.
It was like a shadow of Hachiman himself was looming malevolently over Kei and embracing her, pulling her into dark temptation, as Komachi's sweet words slipped through Kei's guard...
"And if you show up with pretty clothes..." Komachi finalized in a half-whisper, "Imagine~"
That was when any semblance of pride fled from the girl, Kei's defenses shattered.
"...What should I buy, Komachi-nee?" Kei asked in a state of panic.
"Anything..." Komachi said as she spread her arms, gleefully grinning. "Just get something you think would look nice. We can go to Shimamura later."
"No." Kei said, "Shimamura is fine."
When Kei walked hurriedly into the store, Komachi followed her, giggling.
She's an evil goddess! Kaguya screamed internally. Meanwhile, Chika was completely clueless to all of this and asked, "Huh, what is it, Kaguya-san?"
"N-nothing, let's go."
Kaguya made notes that she needed to add bribery into the equation. There was no such thing as a fair fight after all!
They spent quite a long time in Shimamura. And, indeed, it was not quite appealing at first glance. Much of the store was jam-packed with mass-produced clothes arranged in a bunch of massive racks, enough that it almost looked like a warehouse.
"Woah... no wonder my little sister hates it here." Chika commented drily, "This is definitely a granny store."
"It looks like the economy of scale is truly at work here." Kaguya, on the other hand, felt simply marveled by the simplicity.
The economy of scale!
For the students of Shuchiin, the word wasn't something alien-sounding at all, especially for those whose parents worked in material production and the industrial sector.
In microeconomics, economies of scale are the cost advantages that enterprises obtain due to their scale of operation - typically measured by the amount of output produced-, with cost per unit of output decreasing with an increase in the scale.
In other words, the larger the production batch, the cheaper the product could be. For Kaguya, who wasn't accustomed to shopping around for clothes, she could only see everything from a practical standpoint!
Kaguya learned a bit about the pricing of clothes from the short time she had spent with Kei, and compared to other cheap clothing stores, Shimamura's products were even cheaper.
Komachi didn't spend much time selecting the clothes she wanted to buy. Most of them looked fairly simple, almost tomboyish even. Clearly, Komachi was aiming for the spirit of outdoor camping!
"Whew, that was quite a lot." Komachi looked at Kei, who was looking at a set of special edition dresses and clothes sets.
Set clothing, though still fairly cheap, was also something that was considered a higher-priced item at Shimamura. The order of 2000 to 2500 yen per set was the average.
"Kei-chan, try some of them."
"Ah." Kei blushed at being found out, "Yes, Komachi-nee."
Kei ended up trying some of the more expensive items, including a bunch of women's shoes. Despite being only 13 years old, Kei definitely didn't look her age.
"Anything looks good on her." Chika remarked in envy, "Like a model, right?"
Unlike Kei or Kaguya, Chika wasn't as slender, so she always had to pay more attention to clothing sizes and proportions.
"Kei-chan, have you tried modeling?" Komachi asked, "You have a great body and modeling jobs are scarce enough that it won't interfere with your school too much. Besides, it pays really well if you know what you're doing."
"I'd never thought of that," Kei answered.
"Well, the Entertainment industry is full of scary things. You need someone you can trust your well being with." Komachi said wisely.
"Hmm, now that I remember again, Komachi-chan's father is an Idol producer right?" Chika asked.
"Idol?"
Kaguya seldom watched TV, and only browsed the internet for weather forecasts and front-page news. She didn't know much about mainstream entertainment at all. But she knew that idols were cute girls and young women who wore fancy clothes, and sang and danced on stage.
"Yeah, Komachi learned quite a few things from him." Komachi nodded.
And so, as Komachi paid for all the expenses, today's shopping trip officially came to an end.
When they came out of Shimamura, Komachi began to sing a beautiful tune. It was audible, even in the midst of the mall corridor where it was loud and crowded.
Yet, it was also soothing. The contrast between her humming and the background noise caught several of the mall patron's attention.
It was a truly beautiful voice. Kaguya had always been praised for her talent in music, and she could comprehend how deep and dynamic Komachi's tune was.
But more than just her voice, the way Komachi walked around the other customers...
"How about we go somewhere and rest first while waiting for Hikki-san to come?" Chika proposed.
"Good idea."
They decided to stay in a nearby cafe in the area, ordering a bunch of desserts and drinks to relax.
"Komachi-chan, could it be that you're actually an idol?" Chika asked bluntly.
Kei almost popped her eyes in response, "Ehhh?"
"What makes you think that, Chika-san?" Komachi stopped drinking and asked back.
"It's your singing." Kaguya said, "Also, the way you walked was really careful. Almost as if you made a dance choreography to avoid colliding with people. That's not something people do on a whim."
"Kaguya-san realized that too?" Chika clenched her fist, "Yay."
In terms of musical talent, Chika wasn't inferior to Kaguya at all. There was a good reason why Chika managed to win a National Piano championship at a very young age.
Furthermore, Kaguya also learned traditional dance. Though she had never learned much about contemporary pop dance, the basic foundation wasn't all that different.
"Bzzzt." Komachi crossed her hands and pouted, "Wrong, Komachi might be cute but Komachi isn't an idol at all."
"Ehhh? And I was so sure too!" Chika shouted in disappointment.
Talent alone couldn't explain it, even with extreme talent on par with Kaguya herself, what Komachi did required intense training. Kaguya was extremely suspicious, but she wondered if Chika would take Komachi's words at face value.
Nevertheless, Kaguya didn't care enough to pressure her about it.
Kei grabbed Komachi with a horrified face, "I... don't want to see Komachi-nee being surrounded by weirdos, so you should never become an idol. I'll help you study if needed!"
"Hahaha, thank you Kei-chan. Komachi will of course study hard!" Komachi affectionately patted her head. At times like this, people could be reminded of the fact that, yes, Komachi was the older one of the two.
Komachi heard her phone vibrate and checked the incoming message, "Ah, Onii-chan is here. Let's go!"
When they returned to the parking area, they saw Hachiman riding a bike, attached sidecar and all.
"You done?" Hachiman asked.
"Yeah, listen-"
Komachi and Chika didn't waste their time to talk with Hachiman about their shopping trip experience.
Kei looked on a bit from a distance, somewhat conflicted whether to talk with Hachiman or not. However, it was Kaguya who reminded her. "You want to talk to him too, didn't you?"
Kei flailed when Kaguya outright teased her like that, but she had no strength to argue. Instead, she decided to switch the topic of conversation.
"...S-shinomiya-san... I... I really had fun today so... can we go out together like this in the future?"
Kaguya coughed a bit in embarrassment, "Of... of course. If you don't mind, let's share our contact info. Ah, by the way, I can't use LINE, so is email fine?"
And so they exchanged their contacts with each other, much to Kaguya's delight. However, Kaguya wasn't the only one who was really happy about it. Kei was too.
So they exchanged a goodbye, and Kei approached Hachiman and poked his shoulder.
"Ha-Hachi-nii." Kei said while fidgeting, "Th-thank you for these clothes, I'll pay you back someday."
"Nah, don't bother." Hachiman lightly scoffed and handed her a helmet to wear, "It looks nice on you. Consider that enough as a payment."
Like a boiling kettle, Kei's face became red, steaming furiously. Kaguya and Chika almost spurted blood from their mouths. Hachiman could be THIS smooth? No wonder Kei melted like putty in front of him!
Feeling envious, Chika also grabbed his sleeve. "W-what about this dress, Hikki-san? What do you think?"
"Yes, Fujiwara, you look pretty in that," Hachiman said with a half-hearted deadpan voice, "By the way, that's not from Shimamura right?"
Chika popped a bunch of veins and then smacked his head with her shopping bag in anger.
And then she left while huffing, "Hmph. Kaguya-san, let's go home!"
"What the hell, Fujiwara?" Hachiman shouted, then looked at the two younger girls. "Did I say anything wrong?"
Komachi just shrugged in resignation while Kei looked away in disappointment. Hikigaya Hachiman truly was hopeless!
Result of Today's battle: Everyone except Hikigaya Hachiman's victory.
* Helmuth von Moltke the Elder, Militarische Werke vol.2