Chapter 13

Popular Phase

"Hey, did you hear? Seems Isshiki-san got herself a boyfriend!"

"Whaaaat? Really?!

"I know, right?"

"I thought StuCo members were too busy for that!"

"But who is it? Don't tell me it's Hayama-kun?!"

"I heard It's some sort of delinquent from third year."

"You mean like the one hanging out with Yukinoshita-sama right now?"

"…wait, you don't think…?"

Such whispers were what greeted them as Komachi, Yukinoshita and him entered Sobu.

Years of experience had taught him to ignore such gossip of course, but he still felt himself twitch every time said something about Isshiki. It hadn't even been a full day for fuck's sake.

He should have known saying something like that, even though it had been a lie and outside the school, would come and bite him in the ass.

At the very least, it seemed the general population of the school still had no idea he was this supposed delinquent that was going around taking advantage of girls.

He didn't like the rumors of course, but as long as they didn't link it to him, he didn't care.

Since that way it wouldn't splash down to Komachi.

He was only worried about Isshiki's reputation however, and about how such rumor even started spreading so fast.

He needed to talk to Isshiki as soon as possible.

At least Yukinoshita seemed to not care, which he supposed was a blessing in disguise given how much he knew she hated baseless rumors. Even so, the amount of side glances he was receiving from her told him she wasn't naïve enough to think the rumors just appeared out of nowhere.

Komachi on the other hand…he could have sworn he saw stars in her eyes when she had left to go for her class.

That didn't change the fact that there were some people that he knew would have put two and two together by now, especially since he had received quite the…enthusiastic call on the morning regarding the matter from Miura already.

So, when he reached his class, he braced himself for…whatever was about to happen, although he was more than ready to just start denying everything and chalk the rumor off to Sobu's populace having nothing better to do today.

But when he entered to the classroom though, well…

How was he supposed to prepared himself for a sight like this one?

Tobe was sprawled on his desk, his gaze empty as if someone had knocked the wind out of him, while Miura was standing above him, her face clearly red in anger as both Yuigahama and Ebina seemed to be trying to calm her down, all while the two other stooges were seemingly just praying for their fallen comrade, just as Kawasaki also gave a glare to the dead Tobe from her seat.

And as cathartic as it was to see, it only lasted for a few seconds since all of their focus went straight to him the moment he entered the room.

Kawasaki looked annoyed.

Yuigahama looked like someone had kicked her dog.

Ebina looked extremely confused.

And Miura looked like she was about to kill him with her bare hands.

Not a welcoming sight to say the least.

"Sit down, class is about to start."

But whatever mayhem was about to begin was stopped by the teacher's timely arrival, and he wasted no time in going to his seat, ignoring everyone's looks as he was afraid even returning it would seem like an invitation for an interrogation in the middle of the class.

On the bright side, no one said anything after class began.

On the down side, he could literally feel the menacing aura coming from behind him, and he didn't have to turn around to know that Miura was probably trying to kill him with her eyes alone.

It also didn't help that she started poking him with her pencil again.

She was not using the eraser end this time though.

As soon as the bell ringed, he was out of his desk faster than ever before, to the point he had ended up leaving the room before even the teacher.

Why? Because he had an idea about what was about to go down, and he did not need a full-on confrontation on the middle of the damn classroom so early in the morning.

So when he left the classroom and moved through the halls of Sobu, he didn't have to turn around to know he was being followed.

He continued his path without a care however, until his legs dragged him once again to Sobu's rooftop.

At least there seemed to be no one there right now, which was perfect given what he assumed what was going to happen.

His assumptions were proven correct when the door slammed open barely a moment later.

"You better explain yourself, Hikio!" And of course, it was Miura's pissed off visage that greeted him when he turned around. "I can't believe I leave you alone for one second and you go get yourself cozy with that whore!"

"First of all, don't call her that." He threw back his own glare immediately, matching Miura's own heated one. Isshiki might be many things, many of them annoying to some degree, but he wouldn't just stand there and let her be badmouthed like that. "Second, there's nothing going on between Isshiki and I, I don't know how you can even believe the stupid shit that passes around here as gossip-"

"Oh please!" She interrupted while stomping her foot, much to his annoyance. "I know how to recognize made up bullshit from the real stuff so don't give me that crap-"

"And even if there was." Now it was his turn to interrupt her. "That would have nothing to do with you, Miura, so I won't have you getting up my ass when it's none of your business."

He would deal with the issue regarding Isshiki soon enough, but that didn't mean he was just going to let Miura blow up a gasket at him just because…he didn't even know why she was angry actually!

The only one that had the right to be angry here was him!

"How can you say that…" Contrary to what he expected though, which was another round of furious Miura, it seemed that his words took the wind out of her sails given the shocked and, dare he say, hurt expression on her face. "After everything we-"

"No no, don't give me that right now." He raised his palm before she went on to talk about the apparent good old days he had forgotten completely. "Even if we were the best of friends or whatever, that would still give you no right or reason to act like you're doing. I don't even know why you're so pissed about this but that's on you and I'm not going to be dealing with it right now."

Whatever her issue was, that was the thing, it was her issue, not his, and he already had enough in his plate without also having to deal with her random bouts of nonsensical anger.

Silence followed his words, as Miura glued her gaze to the floor to the point her hair shielded her eyes, and with a tired sigh leaving his lips, he moved to leave, passing by an utterly silence and unmoving Miura.

Had he been too harsh? Perhaps, but if she was going to start acting crazy any time some stupid gossip started spreading, then he needed to put a stop to it sooner rather than later.

"Wait!"

But even so, as he reached to open the door and leave, Miura's voice stopped him on his tracks just because of how utterly desperate she had sounded, which truly caught him by surprise.

When he turned his head, he saw that Miura was still looking down, her back to him, which let him witness how her shoulders were shaking.

"On Monday…" Her voice now was extremely soft to the point he was barely able to hear it. "You said I have no reason… I'll make you understand then, right here on Monday after class…"

"…You could just tell me now." He didn't think there was any valid reason for her to be like this towards him, but he wouldn't mind an explanation at the very least if she was offering it. She shook her head at his words though, her blonde hair swinging from side to side.

"I need to prepare myself, ok?" She explained, just confusing him even more. "I…was hoping you would bring it up rather than me having to do it…"

"Fine…" He didn't bother asking about what he was supposed to bring up, deciding that he didn't mind waiting until Monday as long as she kept things to herself in the meantime.

"But just…" Once again though, her soft tone grew desperate enough to make him raise an eyebrow. "Are you really not dating Iroha?"

Again with that? Really?

"I'm not." He confirmed, and even from behind he could see her shoulders sag as soon as he did. He didn't press her for more answers though, and as she stood in silence, he finally moved to leave.

Only to find a worried Yuigahama waiting for him on the other side of the door.

"Yuigahama?" He could only wonder out loud, caught by surprise by her presence. Had she followed him too? Or rather, Miura?

"Hikki." The tone of anxious worry in her voice was more than obvious to him. "Is everything alright?" Yumiko didn't look happy when she stormed off…"

"…You can ask her if you want, she's still outside." He pointed over his shoulder with his thumb, not even knowing what Miura would tell Yuigahama but also not wanting to have to explain it himself right now.

"I'm asking about you, Hikki." Her frown only grew deeper at his words. "Are you ok? Yumiko didn't do anything weird, right?"

That…honestly caught him by surprise.

Maybe he shouldn't have just assumed that Yuigahama would focus solely on Miura.

Specially since in her eyes he could see the exact same look that Sensei had given him just yesterday, one that was inviting him to share whatever was bothering him in hopes of helping him.

Sometimes he truly forgot how caring Yuigahama could be, even though this also involved who he assumed was a dear friend of hers.

But even so…

"I'm fine." His words immediately made Yuigahama grimace even more, and he couldn't blame her with how detached it sounded, which made him backpedal not even a second later. "Thank you for asking though, but…this is between her and me."

…and Ebina most of the time.

"…if you're sure…" And once again, as if she wanted to keep surprising him, he got no pushback at all, but rather a smile of acceptance.

He couldn't believe that out of everyone he knew right now, Yuigahama of all people was the one acting the most mature.

But even so, he still felt like he had to say something regarding the situation. After all, he didn't know just how much Yuigahama believed the rumors going around, and while he truly felt he owed no explanation to someone like Miura, with Yuigahama it was…different

"About what people are saying…" He started, his voice slow, earning a curious tilt from her head right before her lips turned into a smile.

"I trust Hikki." Such a simple statement, said with the utmost confidence to the point that it left him more than a bit flabbergasted.

Seconds later and Yuigahama was gone, finally deciding to go and check on Miura, just as he slowly walked down the stairs, with only one thought present in his mind.

He didn't deserve Yuigahama Yui

"Don't wait for me." That was the only thing he said as soon as the bell signaling lunch time announced their freedom, his words barely high enough so that only those around him could hear him.

And he only cared about Kawasaki and Yuigahama hearing it in the first place.

He was sure Miura had heard it too, but since she had been too busy just doing nothing ever since they came down from the roof, he wasn't going to worry about that.

Specially since right now he was focused on one thing only.

To find Isshiki.

"Never seen Hikkitani leave so fast! You think he's meeting his girlf-uggh."

As such, he didn't have time to turn around and witness what he could only assume was Tobe's death. At the hands on who, he didn't know, but he would vouch for them wholeheartedly if needed.

First things first though, and that was finding Isshiki.

Fortunately, he knew exactly where she would be right now.

"…"

"…"

"…teehee?"

"Don't teehee me!" Did she really think she was going to get out of this by just acting cutesy? He might have a weakness for that, but right now they were way past beyond that actually working. "Please do explain why the entire school thinks we're dating."

He had an idea as to why, but he wanted to be certain first.

And given that they were alone on the StuCo's office, it was the perfect time, even if Isshiki looked like she had swallowed a lemon now.

"W-Well…" She stammered out while for some reason poking her fingers together as if that was going to help her at all. "Turns out Nene-chan is more of a blabbermouth than I thought so…teehee?"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…ok look." A sigh then left her lips, as she finally realized he, once again, wasn't in the mood for this. "I already talked with Nene-chan and I actually managed to get her to stop her attempts at…wooing me."

"Well, that's lovely, but what does that have to do with her apparently telling everyone we're going out." He hissed out, and just as she was about to answer, the sound of someone knocking at the room's door stopped her.

"Give me a sec." She said as she went to the door, leaving him more than a bit frustrated. Surely whoever was there could wait for a bit?

"Senpai!" Wait, he knew that voice. "And Hikigaya-senpai is here too!"

Oh right, it was the brat responsible for all this mess.

She just barely recognized her since, in the few minutes he had seen her yesterday, she had a perpetual scowl on her face. Quite the opposite of her current happy expression.

"I'm sorry for interrupting you two!" Her voiced honestly apologetic, and it was even followed by a slight bow. "I'm sure you don't like when others interrupt your lovey-dovey time, so I'm really sorry!"

Interrupt their what now?

He threw a demanding glance at Isshiki, who was seemingly too busy making a hole at the wall with her gaze, a shaky smile and red cheeks adorning her expression.

"I was going to look for you to apologize, Hikigaya-senpai, but I should have known you would be here." The brat continued, clapping her hands together as if she had hit the jackpot. "I'm sorry for my attitude yesterday, Hikigaya-senpai. I just didn't want my beloved senpai to be taken advantage off, but she already explained to me in great details just how much of an amazing, attentive and caring boyfriend you are!"

"…is that so?" His tone was neutral, even as his gaze, still aimed at Isshiki, grew sharper by the second.

While Isshiki herself remained silent, still just looking at the wall, although her face had somehow grown even redder, and he could have sworn she was even sweating now.

"Yes! That's why I wanted to let you know that I fully support you two!" A dreamy sigh left her, followed by a frown appearing in her face. "But can you believe no one else knew? How silly is that?! How else are people supposed to know that Hikigaya-senpai is taken and off-limits? But don't worry, I already took care of it, no need to thank me!"

That is not the word he would use to describe what he wanted to do with her right now.

And as…cathartic as it was to see Isshiki trembling in her spot, he was starting to put together a picture of what had happened, and he wasn't liking it.

"Shoot, I have to go now. I'll let you continue your lovey-dovey time!" And then she had the audacity to wink, as if it was some sort of internal joke only the three of them new. "Bye bye, Hikigaya-senpai, senpai!"

And then she was gone as fast as she appeared, and like a hurricane she left nothing but destruction in her wake.

Destruction of his mental faculties, specifically.

Nothing but silence was left in the room, his eyes still glued to the shaking figure that was Isshiki until she finally matched his gaze with her own, her eyes glassy, her face crimson and her lips shacking as well.

He said nothing though, for he was going to give her one chance of giving a proper, not stupid explanation for what he had just witnessed.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"...teehee?"

It wasn't Isshiki's fault for letting him down.

It was his own fault for having any expectations in the first place.

"I swear, of all things you could have done…" He sighed, his hands in his face as he tried to settle down the headache that coming at him full force. "You were supposed to clear up your lie, not double down on it!"

"I'm sorry, ok?!" He would have felt bad for her remorseful look if he wasn't too busy holding back a migraine. "It's just, she started badmouthing you so of course I had to bring up your good points and then, well…"

"…well?"

"I might have said some, uh…unnecessary stuff in hindsight." The fact that she blushed even harder after saying that just made him wonder what had gone through during that conversation. "And then she actually started being all supportive and stuff about us and I just…couldn't break her hearth by telling her it was a lie…"

"And what's your plan exactly here? Lie to her until you graduate?" He spoke in a mocking tone, wondering if the pressure of being the StuCo president had finally fried whatever working brain cells Isshiki had.

And maybe he wasn't that far off from the mark given the look he got from Isshiki right as he said that.

"I mean…since you said it already-"

"You're kidding, right?" He gave ger a perturbed look, waiting patiently for her to say it was a joke of some kind.

When the answer he got was her just looking to the side again, he knew he was in for a treat.

"There's no way you're actually thinking of doing that." He spoke as he paced around the room. "Not only is it a horrible idea, but why do you even care so much about this? It's going to be a pain, sure, but why do you keep trying to avoid just telling her-"

"Because I know how it feels." She suddenly declared, stopping him on his track, and while he was unable to look at her eyes as she kept her gaze glued to the floor, he could hear nothing but seriousness coming from her tone. "I know how it feels to be in her shoes, not knowing if the senpai you love is even aware that you exist."

"But unlike me…" A chuckle then left her, a sad one if he ever heard one. "She was actually brave enough to confess her feelings. Sure, she got rejected, and sure she didn't take it well, but at least she was brave enough to tell me how she felt, you know? And that's far more than I can say about myself."

Right, sometimes he forgot that Isshiki still had a thing for Hayama with how little she mentioned him as of late.

"And then, even though it was a lie, she still turned supportive after I talked with her." This time he could see she was smiling with far more fondness than he expected. "Like, who does that? You're supposed to get upset or sad. I know that's how I would have felt, but instead she just declared she would support me, Senpai."

"And I… couldn't backtrack after that. I know it's not fair for your and for her but I just…froze." It was only then that he finally looked up, her glassy eyes looking up at him in what he knew what honest regret. 'I'm sorry, senpai…"

He could only frown at her for a few seconds before sighing. Having a proper explanation was good and all, and he did sort of understand from where Isshiki was coming from, and if it was only the brat thinking they were dating then perhaps there wouldn't be that much of an issue.

"It's not just her, Isshiki, it's the entire school that now thinks we're a thing." After all, that was the real source of his current headache.

"Nene-chan might be a bit of a blabbermouth…" Even she looked embarrassed by that fact. "And apparently this is her way of supporting us…"

"And that's the issue, now the whole school thinks that and getting this sorted out won't be easy." He had already a plan in mind of course, now that he knew what had happened. Worst case scenario they could just pretend to break-up if needed-

"Is everyone thinking that you're dating me that horrible for you, senpai?" He knew there was something wrong before he even looked at her, which was confirmed by the hurt look she was giving him, making him shake his head.

"You know it's not like that." He sighed, for it wasn't like it was because of Isshiki in particular, but rather the situation itself. "I couldn't care less what they say about me, it's you who I'm worried about."

After all, he doubted others thinking she was dating someone like him would do any good for her reputation, especially since she was the StuCo president.

"And I don't think your chances with Hayama are going to improve if he thinks we're dating." He followed it up with that, after all hadn't she just reaffirmed her feelings towards that guy a few minutes ago?

"…you're an idiot, senpai." So why was he getting treated like a dumb child by Isshiki of all people. "But you don't have to worry about that, I have a plan-"

"That only makes me worry even more."

"I have a plan, so you don't have to worry about something happening to me." The impish grin on fer lips brought both a sense of familiarity and alarm, but those feelings were washed away by an overwhelming amount of shock, as the next thing Isshiki did, he could not have predicted.

She actually bowed.

"That's why, just for a bit, I want to keep pretending in front of Nene-chan." She requested outright, and once again he felt the honesty dripping from her tone. "I promise to tell her the truth as soon as I'm ready, and I promise I won't bother you with any other requests after this, but please, Senpai."

He didn't know what was worse.

If Isshiki honestly asking him to still pretend to be her boyfriend.

Or the fact he was actually considering it.

By all means and terms he should be saying no. That's probably what a responsible Senpai would do in his position, rather than cuddling Isshiki and let her dig herself into a bigger hole than she already had.

But seeing her asking him like this, so earnestly in her plight, he had to admit, he was moved a bit.

"…You are aware this is probably going to blow up in your face." He spoke with a sigh, at the very least wanting to be sure that she understood what she was trying to do.

A silent nod was the only answer he got, which only made him release an even deeper sigh.

Was he really going to do this? Specially with everything that was happening around him as of late?

That thought was almost enough to just reject her idea, but once his eyes landed on her still bowed form, his answer became clear.

Was he a horrible senpai? Most definitely.

"Fine, I'll help you."

But at the very least, he promised himself to be there for her when this blew up in her face

Once he finally left the room, he felt way too exhausted for how early it was, to the point he just stood there outside the door, his eyes closed as he tried to come to terms with the fact that he had just signed for the stupidest thing imaginable.

And that was saying something considering the kind of stuff he had been dealing with lately.

"Good evening, Hikigaya-senpai."

He jumped in surprise though, once an even tone reached his ears so suddenly. A second later he was glaring at the responsible, who just so happened to be that same girl lead the Tennis Club yesterday when they came to talk about Totsuka.

"You almost give me a heart attack." He grunted out, hand in his chest. He was too old for this kind of surprises, and it didn't help that she simply tilted her, the same neutral expression present on her face.

"I apologize." It seemed she, Kishika if he remembered properly, took his comment seriously. "However, I find myself needed your assistance once again, Hikigaya-senpai."

"…with what exactly?" He was now more than a bit weary of someone asking for a favor, especially a girl that he didn't even know.

"Follow me please, it's about Captain Totsuka." And then, without even waiting for a response, she simply turned around and started walking, leaving looking confusedly at her retreating back.

He could only wonder how many times he was going to sigh just today, but now knowing that apparently something else had happened with Totsuka, he ended up simply following along without saying anything.

Last time he had seen Totsuka she had been fine so, maybe it was nothing?

"…"

"…"

"Uhhhhh…"

"…"

"…I swear he wasn't like this yesterday." He whispered in concern, with a frown aimed at the crouching Totsuka, who hadn't even realized she was being watched as she was seemingly too busy making circles with her hands on the floor while crouching, hidden away at a corner of the tennis field.

"We requested for you to help our Captain, Hikigaya-senpai, not make him even more depressed." She shot back without missing a beat, although she still used that same monotonous tone she apparently always used.

"What makes you think I had anything to do with this?" Of course, he was now concerned about Totsuka, but she had been fine last time they had talked, so how could this be his fault?

"My maiden's heart." Once again, her answer was swift, and he would have thought it had been a bad joke, but it was hard to tell with her. "Now go and fix his broken heart. Thank you."

"His what?" He asked, but he got no answer as she simply left, as if the issue had just been resolved by him being here.

Once again he sighed before turning his attention to Totsuka, who still hadn't noticed him, as he wondered how to approach this.

"Uh…Totsuka?" Not knowing what else to do, he simply called her out.

"H-Hachiman?!" Prompting her to jump up in fright and with a squeak, her surprised gaze landing on his own.

"…yo." He greeted instinctively. "Your, uh…second in command? I don't know what she is, but she told me you were having a bad day so…you ok?"

As tactful as always, he thought.

But considering he still felt more than a bit awkward given what he had learned and seen yesterday, surely, he could be excused today, right?

"Kishiki-san? She…" Totsuka started, a flash of understanding going through her eyes right before they were taken over by quite the crestfallen gaze. "I'm sorry, Hachiman. I'll tell her to not bother you again. You would probably rather spend time with Isshiki-san than getting dragged around because of me."

He blinked confusedly at her words, as it took him a second to figure out why she was saying stuff like that, making sigh once again.

Something told him he would be giving this explanation a lot in the next following days.

"Just so you know, there's nothing going on between me and Isshiki." He clarified, for even though he had agreed to help her, that didn't mean he wasn't going to correct others whenever he could.

His statement made her freeze, her downed expression slowly turning into visible confusion, almost as if she wasn't getting what he was saying.

"R-Really?!" That didn't last for long though, as next thing he knew Totsuka was right in front of him, so close in fact that his brain was already doing that thing that he swore he would stop doing when it came to Totsuka. "You really mean that, Hachiman?"

"Y-yeah." He didn't have it in him to tell her to back away though, with how hopeful her expression seemed to be. "You know how people start making things up for no reason."

Of course, there was a reason this time, but he decided to save that for himself, mostly for Isshiki's sake, at least towards Totsuka.

It was going to be a completely different matter during club hours.

"I see." She finally backed away, giving him enough room to breathe normally again, which was mirrored by her leaving out quite the sigh. "I'm so glad…"

Her wording did make him look at her strangely, and it seemed she herself had caught on about how it sounded judging by how her eyes widened just as her face flared red.

"I-I mean, I didn't mean it like that, that's just-" She kept stumbling over her words until she seemingly just gave up by covering her face with her hands, a small whine leaving her as she did.

"It's fine, I get it." She had said she had felt like they were growing apart since she was moved to a different class, so he could only assume the thought of him having a girlfriend would mean they would grow apart even further right now, which he understood was a valid concern.

"…I don't think you do." She peeked through her fingers as she spoke, with a pout visible as well once she removed her hands. "C-Can I ask you for a favor, Hachiman?"

He frowned, not expecting such request, but ended up simply shrugging. It was Totsuka, after all, what was the worse she could ask for? He was already keeping a massive secret of hers, so it wasn't like she could ask for anything more complicated than that.

"Can you…?" She whispered as she made a movement with her hands, clearly telling him to bend down. Putting two and two together, he did so, wondering why so secretive when there wasn't anyone around.

Maybe she was just that paranoid given her secret?

Of course, as he had expected, the moment he bent down she had moved her lips close to his ear, her hand shielding them as if someone was going to read her lips or something.

And he had no shame in admitting his brain was doing that thing again as soon as he felt her breath on his ear.

…Alright so maybe he did feel a bit of it, especially given that he now knew she was a girl.

His thoughts were always pure of course.

"That's what you want?" He asked confusedly after she finished whispering into his ear, his raised eyebrow only getting a meek nod in response.

"That's what friends do together, don't they?" She followed up with that, right before she tilted her head to the side, her eyes shining nervously as she looked up at him. "Or…we can't?"

…How was he supposed to say no to that, seriously?

"Hiratsuka-sensei?" It was after class that he finally found himself walking towards the clubroom, with the only saving grace that had appeared on the latter end of is day being how no one else had bothered about the rumors going around.

Well, except for Tobe giving him the thumbs up whenever he could for some reason, but at the very least Miura had been scaringly silent, while Kawasaki had seemed to be actively avoiding even looking at him.

That was something that he would have to talk to her about soon enough. He might not share her feelings, but even he knew he should explain it to her given how she felt towards him.

That would have to be later though, as Kawasaki had bolted out of the room as soon as class had ended, which is why he had found himself simply going towards the clubroom as per usual.

Only to find Hiratsuka-sensei and Yukinoshita seemingly having an argument once he opened the door.

"Ah, Hikigaya." She regarded him with a small grin, almost as if his presence alone was amusing to her. "We were waiting for ya'."

"…You were?" That alarmed him more than he was proud to admit.

"We were not." Yukinoshita was quick to hiss out, however, with an unexpected amount of annoyance and a…blush on her face? "Not to be rude, sensei, but I'm certain you are needed elsewhere rather than here-"

"Want to know what Yukinoshita did today, Hikigaya?" However, Hiratsuka-sensei was undisturbed by Yukinoshita's venomous glare. "Missy here got herself into quite the problem with a teacher to the point they had to call me to assist."

Yukinoshita of all people getting into an issue with the teachers? Since when did that happen?

"Why are you doing this?" He was able to hear Yukinoshita's accusatory question, which was followed by Sensei just shrugging it off.

"I was told your punishment was up to me as your homeroom teacher, and I think this fit given what happened." Such was Sensei's response. "So, do you want to tell him or should I instead?"

Yukinoshita's answer came in the form of her glaring at Sensei, followed by giving him a look displaying something he rarely saw on her face.

Was that really…embarrassment?

Not that she looked his way long enough for him to figure that one out given how quick she ended up looking to the side, which seemed to be all the confirmation Sensei needed given the twinkle in her eyes.

"Yukinoshita here decided that it was a good idea to, and I'm quoting my colleague on this one, 'verbally destroy' one of her classmates." Sensei explained, doing quotation marks and all with her fingers. "I don't know exactly what she told her, but I can assure you I've never seen a girl cry like that."

Well, he knew Yukinoshita had a sharp tongue, but damn.

"Now, you might be wondering what made our usual prim and proper Yukinoshita do something like that." Sensei continued, and something told him she was enjoying this too much. "The reason, you see, is-"

"I'll tell him!" Yukinoshita interrupted her however, her cheeks going pink as she did.

"Go ahead then." And with that, Yukinoshita turned to look at him, while clearing her throat. "I just want to leave it clear that my classmate was the one that approached me first with the intention of tarnishing my name. I'm no stranger to those that try to insult me either out of jealousy for my beauty, skills or family name, and if it had been just that I would have just ignored her."

"But…" She continued, her eyes growing colder as she did. "She started saying things that not even I could forgive. Frankly speaking, I believe she came out quite lucky given what she said."

"I think she's going to transfer schools now." Such was Sensei's follow up, only increasing his shock.

"What could she have even said to upset you so much?" Now he wasn't an expert, but he would like to think he knew Yukinoshita enough to know this wasn't normal behavior.

And as she said, she had experience with dealing with such annoyances, so the idea of someone like that actually managing to get under her skin was truly a bizarre thought.

The fact that his question made Yukinoshita's pale cheeks go pink, all while sensei snorted only made his confusion grow stronger.

"Like I said, if it had been just the usual spiel that I get, I wouldn't have cared." Yukinoshita continued as she brushed her hair being her ear. "But she then started making horrendous claims about, well…" Her voice grew softer as she spoke, which for reasons beyond him was making his heart skip a beat. "About you…"

About who now?

"In layman terms, she apparently started talking shit about you in front of Yukinoshita here and, well, someone took it personal." Sensei's explanation only made him feel…he actually didn't know how he was feeling.

"W-Well of course I did!" Yukinoshita's declaration went alongside her crossing her arms over her chest. "Anyone that dares to spread lies about my fi-friend like that deserved nothing but a swift punishment."

At the back of his head, he was more than glad that Yukinoshita had been able to stop that slip of the tongue that he had almost heard.

But most of his brain was still processing the fact that Yukinoshita had apparently gone out of her way to…defend his honor?

That was a first.

"I'll assume you two have some stuff to talk now so I'll get out of your hair." Sensei declared, obviously pleased by having to make Yukinoshita…confess? "Don't think that was all though, you'll still get a proper punishment later, Yukinoshita."

And they were by themselves, with a weird tension between the two as even he was feeling more than a bit embarrassed about Yukisnohita having to come to his defense.

Or rather, the fact that she was not only willing, but that she had also done so with, apparently, quite the devastating attack.

"So…what did she exactly say, anyway?" He had to admit he was a bit curious. His reputation was bad of course, but he wondered what could have set off Yukinoshita that way.

"She tried to goad me by using the foolish rumors that have been going around today." Yukinoshita explained while massaging her brow with her fingers. "That girl already had a strong dislike towards me and was able to put together that the person I've been seen with lately and Isshiki-san's supposed boyfriend were the same person, so she tried to use that by saying you were being…unfaithful to me."

…Well there was a lot to unpack in that sentence alone.

"But of course, I know the rumors are nothing but lies." Yukinoshita continued. "I can only assume someone saw you with Isshiki-san and misunderstood the nature of your relationship."

"…Right." He just knew explaining this was going to be fun. "Actually I, uh have to explain you something about that."

"…do you now?" Maybe it was the tone of his voice, or the way his frown changed a bit, but he could tell Yukinoshita was able to figure out something was wrong almost immediately by the way her gaze grew sharper.

"…Let's just wait for Yuigahama first, I don't want to have to explain this twice." He could only sigh, something telling him that Yukinoshita wasn't going to react positively to the deal he had made with Isshiki.

Sometimes he hated being right.

"Of all things you could have agreed to…!"

For Yukinoshita was, indeed, quite visibly upset.

And by upset he meant pissed off, at least by her standards given how she looked more than ready to march towards Isshiki and finish this whole mess herself.

"Look, I don't like it either-"

"Then you should have said no, Hikigaya-kun." Yukinoshita was as relentless as always though, not even letting him finish his sentences. "Contrary to what you might believe, you don't have to agree with every one of Isshiki-san's whims."

"I know that much." He rolled his eyes, not liking how she made it sound as if he was Isshiki's lapdog. "But she needed the help and I'm apparently the only one she could approach for this."

"Hmmm I wonder why that's the case." Yukinoshita's remark came out in quite the mocking tone, only making his frown deeper. "It isn't just Isshiki-san's preferences, Hikigaya-kun, but rather your obvious favoritism as well."

"I beg your pardon?"

"For someone that claims to have issues with being seen with others, you certainly agreed with being seen as her partner extremely fast." Well, if he wasn't sure if Yukinoshita was still upset about him wanting to keep an acceptable distance from her, he now sure was.

"This and that and two completely different matters, Yukinoshita." He knew how it could look from her perspective, but it wasn't like he asked to be roped in into Isshiki's scheme.

He also didn't ask to be engaged to her, but he knew enough to not tell her that right now when she looked like this.

"Is it? Because from my point of view, it just seems you would rather be with-"

"G-guys, please!"

Whatever Yukinoshita was about to say died on her lips as soon as Yuigahama reminded them she was still here, an anxious look on her face as she moved to stand between them, her hands raised as if to stop them.

"Yuigahama-san." It was Yukinoshita who regarded her first, an offended expression still on her face. "Could you explain to Hikigaya-kun exactly what he did wrong? I'm trying to do so here but his hard, empty head and dead eyes are making it difficult for him to understand."

He was pretty sure his eyes had nothing to do with this.

And the last thing he needed was not only Yukinoshita, but also Yuigahama ganging up on him, so he opened his mouth to try and stop Yukinoshita from swaying her to her side, which he already knew was a tall order.

"I… don't think it's fair." But before he could do so, Yuigahama was already talking, her dejected gaze moving from him to Yukinoshita.

"Of course it isn't." And like a shark to blood, Yukinoshita pounced on him once again. "But it seems Hikigaya-kun's blatant favoritism doesn't let him see that-"

"I meant it's not fair for Hikki."

Boy, would he have loved to have a camara just to have a record of Yukinoshita's flabbergasted expression.

Then again, he probably wasn't faring that much better, given how honestly surprised he was by Yuigahama's words.

Was she…actually taking his side? Over Yukinoshitas's?

…what the hell?

"I mean…" Seemingly realizing what she had done to their psyche, Yuigahama continued with her words. "Isn't it just unfair? Hikki obviously wouldn't want to do something like this, he's Hikki after all, but he's also too kind to just say no sometimes…"

Why was he getting embarrassed out of a sudden?

For some reason, Yuigahama's words was making him feel a bit too self-conscious, especially with the smile she sent his way right after.

And he most definitely wasn't as nice as she was making him sound.

"So I just don't think it's fair for Hikki. I don't like it either but… I trust Hikki." She repeated that once more, a twinkle in her eyes that, as much as he hated to admit it, was making him flush.

Things must be that bad if Yuigahama was being the voice of reason here.

But still, and as he saw Yukinoshita simply sit down in silence, apparently actually thinking about Yuigahama's words, he wasn't that much of an idiot to just ignore the gratitude he was feeling at the moment.

"Thank you, Yuigahama."

That smile of hers was going to blind him one of these days.

It was hours later, after one of the most awkward club sessions in a while and as he walked back home with Komachi by his side, that an idea popped up in his head.

Had Yukinoshita been…jealous?

Given the change of the nature of their…relationship, he supposed it made sense?

Well, not really, as nothing related to the Yukinoshitas made sense whatsoever, but from her point of view he did understand how it could look.

But once again, it wasn't like he had accepted this whole engagement thing already, and the fact Yukinoshita had done so already was something that only increased his worries.

Hopefully, getting some answers directly from her mom would help in fixing this mess.

"Where are you going? That's not our bus." He stopped his trail of thoughts once he saw Komachi go towards a different route than the one they usually took now that his bike wasn't working.

He really needed to fix that thing.

"Oh right, I forgot to tell you." She spoke in an upbeat tone, her words putting him on edge for some reason. "I'm going to pick up the gift for Yui-senpai."

Oh, so that's why…

In that case.

"I'm not going." He declared resolutely, smelling the trap from a mile away.

"…I wasn't even asking you." Komachi's deadpanned response didn't fool him however, for he knew how this usually went, especially now that Komachi was…weird.

Yes, that was the word he was going to use.

"Good, 'cause I'm not going with you." Normally, he wouldn't have minded, but after the trickery she pulled off the last time, he was rather on guard.

"I know, that's why I didn't invite you-"

"Good, because I'm not going." He knew he sounded like a child, but his instincts were telling him something was still off, so even as Komachi released a seemingly tired sigh, he remained strong.

Nothing was going to move him today.

"Taishi-kun is coming with me anyway, so it's not like I was to make you come with me, Onii-chan."

Like hell he isn't!

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

Well shit, this was awkward.

Apparently, Komachi forgot to tell him the bug wasn't the only Kawasaki coming today.

He didn't even know if to be mad by this or not.

At the very least, he doubted it could get worse…

"So… you and that president chick, huh?"

Never mind then.

I think this is the longest chapter to date. At one I was going to just split it up in two, but couldn't find a proper spot for it so I just finished fully.

Seeing the predictions for the last girl/plot is funny. Spoiler alert: That's coming in 3 chapters

FF net is still bugging out so I'll start putting the fic on AO3 as well. I won't stop updating here as I assume some of you guys only read in this page.

Once again, thank you all for reading this far! Thank you for the reviews, follows and favorites! With views down that's pretty much the only way I get to know people are still reading this, so thank you!

Next Chapter: Calm Before the Bash

Plots so Far

1) Yukinoshita Yukino: "Because of my grandfather, my high-class Club President suddenly became my fiancée."

2) Miura Yumiko: "I discovered the most popular girl in the school is my old childhood friend and now she won't leave me alone!"

3) Kawasaki Saki: "My mundane high school days are being threatened by the Yakuza Princess' constant flirting!"

4) Hikigaya Komachi: "I somehow became the inspiration for my cute little sister's ongoing romantic comedy light novel and now she keeps setting me up with every girl I know!"

5) Totsuka Saika: "My adorable classmate ended up being a girl and now I have to protect her secret with my life!"

6) Isshiki Iroha: "I pretended to be my kouhai's boyfriend to help her and now the whole school thinks we're dating for real and she isn't letting me change their mind!"