Making up for lost time
- Chapter 1 -
~The Beginning of the New Service Club~
1-2
~ Starting Over ~
Here I am again, laying on my bed at the break of dawn. A new day has come, but I'm detecting an oncoming sense of déjà vu. After the events of yesterday popped back into my head, I immediately groaned, rolled off of my bed, and began to yell as quietly as I could while rolling back and forth on the floor.
"Why!? I said all that embarrassing, high level stuff! GAHH! I really went with the flow, didn't I? I was acting like a visual novel protagonist, it makes me want to die again!"
Just like when I cried in front of both Yukinoshita and Yuigahama, or when I yelled in the shower after confessing to Yukinoshita, I was taken over by the need to vent my embarrassment. As much as it pained me to act like such a visual novel protagonist, it was a little satisfying. Now that Yukinoshita and I were closer to being on the same page, it was worth going through any kind of mental pain.
I stopped rolling around a while ago and was now staring at the ceiling of my room. I pulled out my phone, unlocked it, and looked at the screen. On the screen was the app I thought I'd never use, LINE, which was installed on my phone thanks to Yukinoshita's recommendation. There at the top of my contacts was her name, under it showing the last message sent.
Goodnight
A simple message, yet its simple existence filled me with joy. This interaction I've never been able to experience in my short lifetime was what the me from middle school had always wished for. I had never known what it was like to have a positive experience on social media apps, as the entirety of my unfortunate experience was spent being rejected and ignored by girls. (Not to mention the guys too, I never had any good friends.)
However now, Yukinoshita was breaking all of those cynical feelings I had towards these everyday experiences. All of those past memories that filled me with loathing for my youth were being overwritten with new memories that warmed my heart. It's all thanks to her.
I switched my phone off and dropped my hand to the floor. I can't lay here forever. I got up off the floor and left my room. It's time to start the day.
~ x ~
I was downstairs in the kitchen preparing breakfast when I heard Komachi come flying into the living room. "Big brooo! Good morning!" Komachi had her arms raised to the sky as if she were greeting a friend she hadn't seen in a long time.
"Morning Komachi. Someone's really excited today." Komachi was dressed in her new uniform.
"Today's the day we start club activities! How could I not be excited?"
"That's right, but you know we won't have much to do... In fact, I doubt anyone will even come." I don't think Komachi knows what a usual day is like at the service club. For the most part it's completely dead, void of any visitors seeking help. It was so dead in fact, Hiratsuka-sensei had us create an online resource for students to ask questions or seek advice. That way, we had something to do even if no one showed up in person. Personally, I liked it better when no one showed up.
"It's fine, it's fine. The first day should be fun no matter what! And if it isn't, I'll make it fun! Fufu~" she giggled. What Komachi deemed "fun" was highly questionable. I'm already concerned…
I shook my head. "Komachi, eat your breakfast so we're not in a rush." I finished cooking and brought it to the table.
"Oohhh, big bro made breakfast, huh? Heheh, still mad about last week?"
"Shut up. I went all out on this; I'll show you that I can cook something good."
"I'm just messing with you big bro, thanks for the meal!" she said with a big grin. Komachi happily ate the food I prepared for her.
It wasn't too long ago that I was anxious about Komachi growing up and becoming independent from me after entering high school. In the first place, I never thought about that until recently. But I realized that Komachi was still the same old Komachi—and probably would be until she graduates high school—or until she makes high school friends and prefers to be with them.
There was no real guarantee that life would continue on like this for that long. Unlike so many others, this was the kind of thing that I couldn't calculate. For now, I just pray that Komachi will continue to be the same old Komachi for as long as possible even after our lives begin to change.
I wonder if Komachi felt the same way about me, now that I'm in my third year of high school and getting ready to join the world of adults—where Hiratsuka Shizuka and Yukinoshita Haruno are. Not to mention, I've grown closer to Yukinoshita Yukino and will continue to do so from now on.
Is she going to feel lonely now that her unsociable big brother is making steps towards becoming a normal person? When I think about it like that, it's also possible that Komachi is glad that I'm getting away from my dark past. It's not like I always wanted to be like that, but I do appreciate that things are starting to change for the better. Of course, Yukinoshita Yukino is the center of that change.
After we both finished eating, I got myself ready to leave. Once we were out of the door, Komachi insisted that she wanted to ride on my bike as well. After giving in, I grabbed my bike and sat down.
"You ready?"
"Yup!" Komachi seated herself right behind me on the back of my bike.
"Oh, big bro, please don't crash the bike! You're carrying precious cargo!"
I sighed. "I thought we were over this."
"Heheh, just making sure. I'm kidding though, I know you're reliable and wouldn't let your little sister get hurt."
"Well duh. That goes without saying." I would never let harm come to my dearest little sister...!
Komachi patted my back. "Let's go!"
"Just don't move too much, alright?"
I began to pedal, and for the first time since middle school we set out together towards the same destination.
~ x ~
Me and Komachi were still on our way to school when Komachi noticed somebody on the sidewalk up ahead.
"Ah. Yukino-san!" Komachi started moving after getting excited and almost made me crash the bike.
"Hey, what did I say about not moving too much?!" She ignored me anyway and jumped off the bike, running up to the person now identified as Yukinoshita Yukino, my girlfriend. Though I can openly say that to myself, actually calling her my girlfriend in front of others is, well, you know.
"Yukino-san, good morning!" Komachi jumped onto Yukinoshita and hugged her.
"Ah—Good morning, Komachi-san." Yukinoshita responded. She moved her gaze along to me, where she gave me a warm smile.
"Good morning to you too, Hikigaya-kun."
"O-Oh—Yeah, good morning." The memory of this morning was still fresh in my mind, so it was a little hard for me to look at her face.
"Yukino-san, let's go to school together!"
"Mm—of course. Let's go together." She smiled at Komachi. "By the way, could you let go of me now?" After getting her fill of hugs, Komachi finally released Yukinoshita from her grip.
I looked to the left at Yukinoshita. She was smiling at the both of us, which made me think this was definitely the right choice. I didn't think we'd run into Yukinoshita on our way to school, but I'm glad, nonetheless. We'll be walking together in the future as well, won't we? When I thought of that, my chest tightened once again.
"So, how was your two's date yesterday, hmm?" Komachi teased. Instantly, I froze in place. Komachi was either very perceptive, a stalker, or trying to trick us into spilling the beans. Before I could say anything, Yukinoshita spoke.
"Komachi-san, I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Come on, the date! You two spent time together, right?"
"There was no such thing."
"Ehh, is that so? What a bummer…" Komachi was dejected.
"Is it really that depressing for you?" I asked.
"Definitely! Big bro you need to step up your game!"
What is this girl thinking?! Besides, we did go on a date, so I'm already one step ahead of her. I just can't tell her or else it'll feel like she won! I think Yukinoshita felt the same.
"Then how about this," Komachi turned to Yukinoshita. "Yukino-san, I'd like to ask you something if you don't mind?"
"No, I don't mind at all. What is it?"
"My brother here made breakfast this morning, but it's still not any good. Could you please fix that for me?"
"Hey, what's that about!? You were happy about eating it and even said you liked it! Was that a lie!?"
"It was the thought that was nice. I didn't say anything about the taste!"
"Ugh...?!" I recoiled backwards as if she had stabbed me directly in the heart. Yukinoshita laughed.
"Yes, Hikigaya-kun's cooking could probably use some work. At the very least, it's not as bad as a certain someone's cooking."
You know, that certain someone isn't here right now so isn't that a little harsh? But she isn't lying… She needs a lot of work on her cooking ability.
"You too, Yukinoshita? My cooking really isn't that bad…"
"I just thought about it, but we have the perfect chance to better your cooking. You haven't forgotten, right, Hikigaya-kun?"
I stood there a little stunned. What is she talking about? Cooking? Perfect chance? Then I remembered yesterday's conversation in the club room and stiffened.
"You will be coming tonight, yes?" Yukinoshita gave me a stern but also concerning look.
"Y-Yeah, I guess I have no choice…" I reluctantly responded.
"Then it's decided. We'll continue with the plan and improve your cooking in the process."
Yukinoshita was really scary for a moment there, she reminded me of her mother. Which of course, was one of the reasons I did not want to eat dinner with them tonight. I know I'll have to confront this issue at some point, but I felt that time was not right now!
I really have no choice, Yukinoshita would be the first person in the line of fire if I didn't go. I have no doubt she was worried about being pressured by her mom and teased relentlessly by Haruno until I showed my face at their house. I've found myself involved with a very troublesome family, haven't I?
"I don't know what just happened, but if big bro's cooking improves then I have no problem! Yay!"
"This girl…"
Yukinoshita couldn't help but chuckle at the two of us. Yukinoshita is as ruthless as ever, and Komachi can't help but butt in my social life whenever possible. Now with the three of us together, we began our walk towards the school.
~ x ~
Today's classes were pretty uneventful, and the periods passed one by one until we were done for the day. I met up with Yukinoshita out in the hallway and walked to a vending machine so I could grab a MAX coffee before heading to the club room.
"Want one?"
"Oh, sure."
I put money into the vending machine and selected the same coffee I just ordered myself.
"Here you go. Don't worry about paying me, it's my treat." I handed her the can.
"Thank you." Seeing her smile was enough to make me happy. However, she tugged on my sleeve prompting me to look at her as she held the can close to her innocently smiling face.
"Look, we're matching."
Ah, why would you point this out to me. Yukinoshita, are you trying to kill me? I didn't think she was capable of pulling this off, but she is…
"It's nice you enjoy MAX coffee as well."
"It has just the right amount of sweetness, right?"
"Ha, of course. You got that right."
Yukinoshita Yukino was truly smart and wise. She finally knew the greatness of MAX coffee. We both opened our cans and began our walk to the clubroom side by side. When we arrived at the club room door, Yukinoshita pulled on my sleeve again. She really likes doing that doesn't she?
"Here, why don't you open it?" She handed me the key. This was only the second time I've held this key. For a moment, I thought about how Komachi will be the one to do this instead.
We walked into the room and began to settle ourselves in. I sat in my usual spot while Yukinoshita went to prepare some tea. After she was done, she made her way to the table and pulled over a chair right next to me. She casually sat down as I stared at her, but when she noticed my gaze, she looked at me questioningly.
"Is there a problem?"
"Huh? Uh, no. There's no problem. So, it's gonna be like this from now on?"
"We've been like this since we started working on the joint prom, so why not?"
"Ah, well yes... You're right..."
"Of course, it's better that we sit closer together, don't you think...?"
She moved her head slightly in my direction. Her face had a sweet expression, as if everything was right in the world. Despite the room being completely lit with clear light, it was like her face was filled with warmth; like the sun was setting and casting its red light across her face. But it was only the start of the evening, and the sun wasn't setting, so her face was just flushed.
"O-Oh... Uh, yeah I think it's better. Definitely better..."
She caught me off guard and all I could do was respond with what I was thinking. She made me conscious of the situation and now my face is burning. I wonder if my emotions are obvious...
"You sure this is fine?"
"Why wouldn't it be?" she asked as if it was self-evident.
"Oh—well, won't the others make a fuss?"
"I don't see why that matters. You are my partner after all." She tilted her head to the side and looked at me with serious eyes. The soft tone of her voice and the beauty of her gaze made my heart beat once again. My chest felt like it was on fire, but it wasn't just because of the way she looked at me, it was what she said. I didn't think it would be this easy for Yukinoshita to make me feel this way, even though she's doing nothing out of the ordinary—except well, demanding that we sit so close to each other.
We sat quietly for a minute, the only sound that could be heard was the tea brewing in the back. Before either of us could say anything, energetic footsteps came flying from the hallway and the door slid wide open. The person who appeared in the doorway was none other than Komachi.
"Yo!"
Yukinoshita was a bit taken aback from her sudden entrance, but after collecting herself greeted Komachi with a smile.
"Komachi-san, good evening."
Komachi greeted her back, and at the same time her eyes went wide. "Ohh? What an interesting and wonderful sight...!"
"What?"
"Fufu, big bro…" She now had a mischievous grin. "It's good to see you two spending time together."
"You make it sound like I'm not capable of such a thing. Also, we're just sitting next to each other. Isn't this much to be expected?" Despite the reality that my heart was pounding from sitting so close to Yukinoshita, I felt like I needed to make a rebuttal that made me look unfazed. I can't show any signs of weakness in front of my little sister!
"Ehh, but big bro you wouldn't normally do that right? I hope you're not bothering Yukino-san."
Before I could even make my own rebuttal, Yukinoshita interrupted. "Komachi-san, of course I'm not bothered. I was the one who decided to sit here. But could you please come in already? We have work to finish—If you haven't forgotten." It must have struck a nerve for Yukinoshita, she gave her a stern look.
"O-Okay… it feels like she's the president…" she mumbled.
"What was that?"
"Nothing!" Without wasting anymore time, Komachi entered the classroom. Behind her followed two familiar faces.
"Yahallo!"
"…what she said."
Yuigahama and Isshiki made their entrance. Yesterday, Yuigahama offered to help with the rest of the leftover work. Though, Isshiki was not asked nor offered to help. It's no wonder she looks irritated.
"What are you doing here, Isshiki? Did you really want to help us that badly? I thought you'd want to be with Hayama." I goaded her. She simply glared at me.
"I never said I'd help yesterday, why am I even here?" No doubt she was dragged here against her will by Komachi. Yukinoshita picked up on this and stared her down.
"Komachi-san, I hope you don't intend to keep bothering Isshiki-san. She's the student council president—If you haven't forgotten. She has other important work as well."
"Uuuu my bad… but…" Komachi was cowering under Yukinoshita's harsh gaze. Before either could say anything further, Isshiki sighed and spoke up.
"Listen, it's whatever. It's not like I had anything important to do anyway. I guess I'll help out a little."
"Well, if that's how it is, then thank you for your help."
"How noble of you Isshiki, you're truly a passionate and ideal student president!" Her sharp glare was once again pointed directly at me, then stepped forward and leaned into my face.
"Huh? Excuse me? This was all your mess! Don't even get me started on the president position, but this prom is all your fault...! Be glad that anyone here is willing to help!" She crossed her arms and turned her head away just like a tsundere. Although, she was justified for acting that way.
"Geez, let's just get this done and over with already!" Isshiki shouted.
"I agree with Iroha-chan… eheheh…" Yuigahama added while twiddling her fingers. The two of them sat down across from us, while Komachi sat where Yukinoshita normally would sit.
"Allllrrright! Let the first day of the service club, begin!" Komachi shouted energetically. Although it was super annoying, it filled me with a sense of comfort. Life was returning to a sort of balance after all this time. Just like that, the familiar feeling of youth filled the sunny room once again.
~ x ~
After about fifteen to thirty minutes of working between the five of us, we finished everything that remained. It's not too surprising, as when it was just Yukinoshita and I last week, we intentionally slowed our pace to stay in this room as long as possible. Yesterday's developments changed all that. Because there was no reason to do that anymore, nothing was holding us back. Yukinoshita proceeded at full speed.
"Yukinoshita, your bias is showing."
"Hm? What do you mean?"
"I understand you wanted to delay our time spent in this room, but the difference in speed is really crazy…"
"Oh my, that's funny coming from you Hikigaya-kun. You don't take normal class work that seriously, but when it comes to reaching a means to an end, you make twice the effort. If you applied yourself like that all the time, you could be a better member of society."
"That's possible, but I think it's cooler if you hold back all the time and come through when it counts. Also, if you work at 100% or 110%, 100% of the time, you will surely wear yourself out. I think my usefulness is at its peak when I conserve my energy."
Yukinoshita sighed. "Of course, you shouldn't push yourself so hard all the time, but it would behoove you to not act completely hopeless all the time."
A pained groan leaked out of my throat...
"It's good to see you two getting along as usual. Haha…" Yuigahama reacting to our debate, let out an awkward chuckle. Yukinoshita grinned and stood from her chair.
"Well, our work is done. I think it's time I get the tea." Yukinoshita served tea to the group just like she's always done.
"Ohh, nice! I didn't know you guys got to drink this all the time! I'm so jealous!"
"I know right. Heh." I smirked proudly, but for some reason I got stares from a few people in the room.
"What?" I returned the looks to Isshiki and Yuigahama.
"See I told you food is the key to a man's heart."
"Eh? But it's really not that easy…"
They mumbled and whispered to each other, but I really didn't care what they were saying so I ignored them. Afterward we continued discussing our plans for the week and other daily life happenings as we enjoyed the tea's warmth. When we got to a period of silence, a thought crossed my mind. That was, who the heck offered to be the new advisor?
"Hey, Komachi. Who is the new club advisor?"
"Oh, I forgot about that~"
Thank you Komachi for always being the paragon of remembering important details. Of course, I was kidding. She had done this before just like the time she couldn't remember who brought me the cookies when I was still in the hospital.
"I think you might've seen her from the opening ceremony... It's Shimizu Yuzuki-sensei."
How noble of Komachi to assume I was paying attention during the opening ceremony. In fact, I was actually taking a nap.
"Sorry, don't think I caught that bit."
"Of course you wouldn't be able to if you weren't paying attention… Hikigaya-kun, it's rude to fall asleep during such important events."
What the hell?! How? I was completely exposed by Yukinoshita! "What are you talking about you were seated nowhere near me...! How would you even know?"
"It's simple—because it's you. I don't have to look at you directly to know what you're up to."
Thanks to some odd miracle, Isshiki got the topic back on track.
"Anyway, Yuzuki's the new teacher that came in after Hiratsuka-sensei left. She's the homeroom teacher for class 2-C."
"You're well informed, Isshiki."
"Well, duh! Of course I know, I'm the Student Council president! Besides, I'm in class 2-C… Anyway, I had to make sure this club had an advisor, so I went with Rice-chan the other day to ask her if she would help out."
"Ah, so that's what happened. But why her?"
"Well… I did ask other teachers…"
"No one was interested." Isshiki finished Komachi's sentence.
Wow, the teachers here are pretty shitty. Were they busy or just work averse? I'm starting to feel sympathy for Hiratsuka-sensei, always getting projects no one wanted to do because they thought it was tough. They were still not willing to get themselves involved in this club either. Man, adults are the worst. But I don't hate them for it—no, I would definitely want nothing to do with this club too…
"She was surprisingly excited when we asked, she accepted immediately."
"Hah, the look on her face, 'Really?! A club?! You want me to be an advisor?!' It was like she was trying to be a schoolgirl. What an old hag." She had whispered part of that to herself, but it was clearly heard from where I sat. I'm just going to ignore that…
"So then, what's she like? She's willing to put up with us, she must be similar to Hiratsuka-sensei in some way, right?"
This new teacher was a mystery. She came in and took the task of being our advisor so easily. Is she just okay with it, or does she want to get involved like Hiratsuka-sensei was...? Or maybe something else? I want to find out sooner rather than later. But also, thinking that she could be a Hiratsuka-sensei clone sent shivers down my spine. I don't want to deal with another Christmas cake.
"Well, she's… kinda similar… but opposite of Hiratsuka-sensei—I guess?" Isshiki was unsure about how to describe her.
"What is that supposed to mean? Your tone is very questionable." I felt a little bad for Hiratsuka-sensei. Isshiki is walking a very fine line between complimenting and insulting our dear former advisor.
"Well for one she's married so she's not as depressing." I almost choked on my tea, so I stopped drinking and put the cup down. That's the first thing you say about her!? If she were here to hear you say that you would have chosen death! Yukinoshita looked at me worried as I cleared my throat. I gave her a face that said, "Don't worry, it's just our junior making horrible comments as always." Isshiki was annoyed at me for interrupting her, but I just shrugged it off.
"She's really easy to talk to."
"Well, that's a good quality for a teacher I guess…"
"She's definitely a delinquent type, for sure. You can tell she could beat you up."
"Is that really something you need to mention…?"
"Hikigaya-kun, I think she was saying that for your sake."
"I don't think that's necessary...!" It's not like I want to get hit! Of course, I deserved to get hit a few times by Hiratsuka-sensei, but sometimes it was totally uncalled for. She's just a very aggressive woman…
"So, is she going to show up today?" I had asked Isshiki, but Komachi answered instead.
"Oh, she won't be here today. She said she's going to be busy preparing for world history class."
"Ah—Alright, well that solves that question…" Though, it seems Komachi is very well informed when it comes to Shimizu-sensei. I wonder if I should be worried about that. But this Shimizu-sensei… I'm hoping she won't be as much of a hassle as a certain teacher. Although, I won't have to worry about her as I do with Hiratsuka-sensei. Seriously, someone please marry her already.
- Interlude -
~ Shimizu Yuzuki enters stage left ~
"All right you guys! Settle down!"
An unfamiliar tall woman walked into class 2-C with a commanding tone. The students settled down rather quickly because of the unexpected mature aura she gave off. Some of the students whispered between each other.
"Hey, that's the new teacher from the morning assembly...!"
"So, she's our homeroom teacher, huh?"
"Her legs are completely exposed…!"
"She looks so mature...! Hey, Akio, what kinda underwear do ya think she's wearing?"
"Shut up, idiot!"
"She's so pretty, what kind of hair product does she use?"
"…Should we ask her...?"
"I don't know, she looks pretty strict…"
Both the boys and girls were causing a stir amongst themselves. Rather than yell at them to be quiet, she ignored them. Instead, she grabbed a piece of chalk and began writing her name on the board. Once she finished, she slammed it back onto the tray.
"Alright, introductions!" The students flinched, and the room was now completely silent. "I'll be your homeroom teacher starting today. The name's Shimizu Yuzuki, but y'all can call me Yuzuki-sensei!"
The students were taken aback by her abrupt casualness and informal speech, making even the most extroverted students hesitate to say anything. Eventually, one of the girls had the courage to ask a question.
"Eh, is that really okay?" Their previous teacher was nothing to write home about. They were used to that kind of relationship between student and teacher, one where there was nothing beyond just teaching and being taught. Yuzuki wanted to break down that relationship and build something new.
She smiled at the girl. "Of course! I'd like y'all to feel like you can talk to me anytime. I believe you guys need a teacher you can trust, so I'm here to fill that role." She said excitedly. "Other than that, I'll also be your counselor, so if you need help, just ask." Yuzuki patted her chest. "I'm pretty good at what I do, so don't feel shy! So, do you have any other questions for me?"
She turned to the rest of the students with a glowing smile. Once the students determined she was actually a friendly teacher and not a strict one, they started to relax. The questions flooded in almost immediately.
"Yuzuki-sensei, are you from overseas?"
"Yup~! I'm from America!"
"Ohh…!" The class's excitement rose once again. So that explains it... Some of the students thought. Yuzuki's attitude and aura was beginning to make sense, she was from a different country with a completely different culture.
"Ehh~ You're Japanese is really good sensei!"
"Of course, I'm half-Japanese. I was born and raised in America as well as here in Japan."
"Sensei, how long have you been in Japan?"
"Hmm…. I'd say 10 years altogether. I went to high school in Japan."
"Yuzuki-sensei, are you married? Is your husband a foreigner too?"
"Yep! And no, he's Japanese." She showed off her ring to the students. Some of the boys looked depressed and the girls squealed. The girls began flooding her with questions about marriage and other related topics.
The students continued to ask her question after question, and she answered most of them, some of them were best kept a mystery. Meanwhile in the middle of all that, one of the female students gripped the hem of her skirt. Maybe I can ask her… she thought.
…
A week later…
Shimizu Yuzuki was working at her desk in the staff room when a student came up to her after classes ended.
"Excuse me, Yuzuki-sensei?"
Yuzuki stopped what she was doing and turned to the student. "Hm? Oh, Fujiwara, do you need something?" The student that came to her was Fujiwara Ayame, a student from class 2-C, which Yuzuki was the homeroom teacher for.
"I hope this isn't a bother, but I wanted to ask for some advice… on love."
"Oh, that's unexpected. Love advice? Why are you asking me about this?"
Fujiwara nervously rubbed her hands together. "Well, I don't really have anyone else to talk to about this. It would be too embarrassing to ask my parents… I remember you said that you're married… and you said we could ask about anything s-so…"
"Ah, I see I see." Yuzuki went silent. She took her time to think carefully. She knew Fujiwara was normally a very shy and quiet girl. It must've taken a lot of courage for her to ask about something so personal. It could be as well her situation is so troubling that she had no other choice but to ask a teacher for help. Yuzuki was thinking about it seriously in that case. She had to narrow it down first.
"I guess I know a thing or two. Could you please tell me what your problem is? Sensei will do her best to help you out."
Fujiwara started to relax when she heard Yuzuki's caring tone of voice. Fujiwara explained her issue to Yuzuki as she sat patiently and listened to every word she had to say. While she was thinking of how to respond to Ayame, she remembered what an enthusiastic student asked of her when she came for a request the other day.
"Ah, you know what, this would be a perfect chance...!" She raised her head and then looked directly at her. "Fujiwara."
"Yes?"
"Instead of asking me for advice, I know just the place where you should go to for help."
"What's that?"
Yuzuki laughed to herself and smiled. She opened her mouth and told Ayame where to go.
~ x ~
There was a knock on the door. Komachi and Yuigahama flinched, while Isshiki and Yukinoshita were indifferent about it. Meanwhile, I was completely irritated. I was just about to get ready to leave too, now I can't do that… It was only the first day of club and we were already getting our first visitor. Why couldn't we just have nothing to do for the rest of the year… I want to go home…
"Come in!" Komachi called out enthusiastically. The door slid open slightly, but then stopped as if the person behind it was hesitating. It eventually continued to open all the way, and a soft and quiet voice came out, "E-Excuse me…"
The person who entered was a girl—who I recognized only after taking a second look. That girl—She's the shy waitress from the other day...! This is bad, she saw me and Yukinoshita on our date yesterday… I think it would be best to act like I don't know her. If the others knew, who knows what they'd do? Besides, Yukinoshita already told Komachi we didn't go on a date yesterday.
I looked over to Yukinoshita to see what she was thinking, but it was written all over her face. She had gone slightly white, her eyes anxious. We were definitely on the same page even without conversing with each other.
"Is this the Service Club?"
"Yup, welcome to the Service Club! Is there something you need?"
"Yes, Yuzuki-sensei told me you could help me with some advice."
"Sure, no problem. Come and have a seat!" Komachi motioned for her to take a seat at the table. Yuigahama and Isshiki moved their chairs so that the girl could sit down across from us. Once they were settled, the conversation began. Komachi introduced herself, then everyone else followed suit. The last one to introduce themselves was the girl across the table.
"My name is Fujiwara Ayame. A 2nd year from class 2-C."
"2-C? Isn't that the same class as you, Iroha-chan? Do you know her?"
"Ahh… um… maybe…?" Isshiki was struggling to remember despite this girl being in the same class.
"W-Well, I don't think she would know me anyway… I'm practically like the air… It's fine…" Oh, that's depressing, she's even okay with it… But I know exactly how you feel Fujiwara...! Meanwhile, Isshiki was racking her brain to come up with some kind of answer.
"Err… eh…. Oh! Are you that quiet girl that Akiyama-kun hangs around all the time?"
"Y-Yes…"
"Isshiki-san, you should pay more attention to your classmates…"
"Well, it's not my fault! She looks different than what I remember...! Ayame-chan, you cut your hair, didn't you?"
"Y-Yes...! I did."
"See? No wonder I couldn't even remember her, she was all gloomy before!" It seemed the change her hair made was significant enough for Isshiki to barely recognize her. Was she really that gloomy before? "Actually, you look too good. I get you want to look nice, but you better not try to get close to Hayama-senpai, you hear?" She leaned over Fujiwara intimidatingly. She reveals her true colors right away…
"N-No! No way!" She denied it as hard as she could. "Nothing like that will ever happen!"
"Iroha-chan… do you have to get so defensive over Hayama...?"
"I'm just making sure she knows her place. Hmph." She folded her arms feeling justified, though she seems to have calmed down now. She continued, "But you're here about him right, you two are dating?"
"O-Oh, yes but… um, what makes you say that…?" Fujiwara's face was uncomfortable. We all looked at Isshiki with curiosity.
"Well, now that I think about it, we've been in the same class since last year yeah? Akiyama's been the subject of several rumors in class. They always assumed you two liked each other—or at least have been dating." Upon hearing Isshiki's words, Fujiwara was utterly shocked.
"Huh?! People were thinking that? No way…" Fujiwara dropped her head in embarrassment. She thought her relationship had been a secret this entire time, but everyone already knew. That made me think about my current situation too. We're both in the same boat here…
"Wait, how did rumors about you two spread in class?" I asked.
"The two of them do tons of work together, helping out with the Student Council, she also hangs around at the soccer field. Even though they don't talk much, from the outside it always looks like they gravitate towards each other."
"Ah, so that's how it is." I totally get it. Naturally getting closer to the person you like. She's just like me. We've only met for five minutes but I feel like we're already buddies. She picked her head up after looking completely defeated.
"Y-Yeah, well, my request is about him… You see, Akiyama is my first love, and we finally started dating two weeks ago."
"Eh, really!? You started dating your first love!?" Yuigahama almost jumped out of her seat from excitement. Fujiwara was slightly startled from Yuigahama's outburst.
"Yes… I've liked Akiyama since we were first years. He came to me last week and confessed. I was really surprised but very happy..." Fujiwara turned her head down as her face turned a bright shade of red.
"Aw, that's so wonderful… first love…." Yuigahama was in her own little world, I could tell she was quickly ascending into the clouds. To avoid Yuigahama going on a further tangent, Yukinoshita stepped in to ask her about the pressing issue.
"You've been dating for two weeks, what could be the problem?"
"W-Well, I'm a really shy person for starters. It doesn't help when I'm alone with Akiyama, sometimes I even run away from him... Akiyama is so outgoing with his friends—and he's really cool! I'm glad I was able to catch his attention, but I'm worried that if I don't do things right, he might break up with me..." Fujiwara twiddled her thumbs as she looked down. "I guess what I'm saying is... I don't know where to go from here. I didn't think I'd even reach this point."
"I see, I think I get it." Yukinoshita said.
"Yuzuki-sensei told me you would be able to help me with that. Not to mention, I also would like to have your opinion, Yukinoshita-senpai."
"What makes you think that?" She tilted her head in question.
"After seeing you two on your date yesterday, I figured you would have good experience with this stuff…" When she said that, I visibly stiffened. I looked over to Yukinoshita and she had the same reaction. If there was any doubt before, her face just threw that out the window. She was definitely thinking the same thing about Fujiwara this entire time.
"The other day…?"
"Experience?"
"Yukino-san? Date?"
Yuigahama, Isshiki, and Komachi in that order reacted out loud. Then, their gazes zeroed in on me and Yukinoshita. "Hmmm?" All three of them looked at us suspiciously, although the tone of their voices were different between each one.
"What do you mean, Ayame-chan?" Yuigahama asked, causing Fujiwara to look right at Yukinoshita and me.
"Huh? Did I say something wrong? You and Hikigaya-senpai are dating right? Seeing you two be really lovey-dovey together on a date, I figured you have experience with that sort of stuff." Fujiwara innocently said.
I felt glares coming from my right and a single mischievous look from the left. Excuse me you three, could you please stop giving me these looks? Nothing wrong or suspicious happened! Especially you, Komachi...! Stop it!
"Senpai, this is really interesting. Why don't you tell me about it?"
"Y-Yukinon, ehh?"
"Fufu, big bro~"
Yukinoshita seemed to panic from the stares both of us were getting, but as if to steel herself, she calmly exhaled and replaced her panicked face with a serious one. Meanwhile, Fujiwara looked apprehensive as if she said something she was not supposed to.
"Fujiwara-san, putting that aside for now, I'm not the best person to get romantic advice from. In fact, I don't think any of us here can, we really don't have that kind of experience." She looked at the others and they froze in place. We all had no real love experience; the reality was cruel enough to stop those three in their tracks. Fujiwara even looked defeated after her declaration.
"But…"
She squeezed my sleeve under the table.
"I think we can do it."
"R-Really...?!"
"Yes… we'll have to discuss it, but I think we can help you. Could you give us some time?"
"Yes! That's alright with me."
"Also, Fujiwara-san, there's something I need to tell you. That is, this club doesn't solve your problems for you. You will have to solve this on your own, we will just be giving you our advice. Whether or not you succeed is dependent on you. Are you alright with that?"
"Y-Yes!" She sat up straight like she was trying to give herself some confidence.
"Well then, we have our first request! Is there anything else you need?" Komachi asked.
"No, that should be it. I have to be getting to my part-time job anyway… thank you for your help." She stood from her chair and we exchanged farewells. Afterward, she left us to sit in a quiet room. It was then that I could faintly hear the sound of something coming. W-Why do I hear boss music?
"Senpaiiii, how does she know about your date with Yukino-senpai?"
"Yeah, big bro, what was that about? What were you two doing?"
Isshiki was the first to tackle the question followed by my curious little sister. Yuigahama quietly sat in her chair with anticipation, nodding her head in agreement.
This is going to be annoying so I might as well tell them. I turned my head and looked at Yukinoshita to gauge her thoughts. At the same time, she looked over and our eyes met. I wordlessly questioned her whether or not it was okay to tell them. She responded with a sigh, and then answered for me.
"It's not like we have anything to hide. The two of us visited a café after school and Fujiwara-san was there working as a waitress."
"I see, a café huh?" Komachi took that without making a fuss, surprisingly.
"Huh, Ayame-chan is a waitress? But she's totally shy, isn't she?" Yuigahama was stumped as usual, but Yukinoshita already had an idea.
"She probably wants to get out of her shell, and she thinks the best way to do that was by working as a waitress. It's a trial by fire for someone like her, but it could be helpful in the long run. At the very least, she works alongside cats. I wouldn't be surprised if that helps her calm down. She's quite smart actually."
"Oh, cats?! Was it that cat café?!" Yuigahama burst out.
"Yes..."
"So cute! Did you take pictures? Can I see them?"
Yukinoshita had a troubled face as she was contemplating what to do, but then looked to have made up her mind. She pulled out her phone, tapped away, and after finding what she was looking for, she placed her phone on the desk for the rest of us to see.
"Oh, so cute!" Komachi and the others fawned over the cats.
"Did you take any other pictures of the café?" Yuigahama asked.
"Yes, I took a lot of pictures. Here, take a look." She handed her phone to Yuigahama and she began to swipe through her camera roll. For the next few minutes, they looked at all the cute cats in the pictures and talked about random stuff as they went along. Meanwhile, I decided to flip through a book.
"Oh, that's—" Yuigahama noticed something. I wasn't really paying much attention, so I didn't know what was going on. What's happening now?
I looked at the phone and Yuigahama was scrolling through several, if not tons, of pictures both close up and afar taken of me holding different cats. They even saw the picture of us with the milkshake.
"Uh, Yukinoshita?" I looked over to her puzzled. She gasped when she realized Yuigahama was scrolling through the pictures of me. "Uh, wait— Yuigahama...!" She leaned over the table and me to grab her phone from Yuigahama's hands.
"This is… you weren't supposed to see that…"
If it was even possible, she was shrinking in her chair out of embarrassment, wanting nothing to do with this situation. She actually looks really cute like this… Ah, but I guess I have to support her in this kind of situation.
"Yukinoshita, don't worry. It's okay!" I gave her a confident smile and a thumbs up.
"That doesn't help much at all…" Looks like it was ineffective.
"Wow, Yukinon... I didn't think the two of you were capable of being this forward…"
"Oh, that's— Senpai, that's really too sweet don't you think…?"
"Yukinon, it's alright. Actually, it's quite adorable. I didn't know you had that side to you."
"Eh…?" Yukinoshita was quiet and still embarrassed. She hung her head low. Yuigahama failed to pacify Yukinoshita.
"Yukino-san, I'm glad you love my brother so much that you keep photos of him on your phone! I'm so happy!" Komachi started to rub her eyes as if she were crying happy tears, but it seems all that did was manage to make Yukinoshita's face even redder.
"Yukino-senpai, what's your problem? You're his girlfriend so isn't it normal for you to have pictures of him?" Isshiki went for an attack instead, but this turned out to be super effective. She couldn't really argue with that.
"Well, that's… geez… I give up." She folded her arms on the table and put her head down. Her little secret got found out and now she's sulking. Yukinoshita Yukino is definitely the cutest.
"You know, you could have just swiped through the pictures yourself or something. Did you think they wouldn't find out even though you let her freely use your—ow!" Yukinoshita reached over and pinched my thigh. "Well, stuff like that happens sometimes I guess…"