Making up for lost time
- Chapter 2 -
~The First Request~
2-2
~ The Case of Akio ~
Why is it that my High School life is so annoying? Specifically what I mean is, why is it that I can't have someone who likes me for me, and not because I'm on the soccer team. It's always been like this ever since I first joined the team at the start of the school year. I get approached by girls who just want to get with "soccer players". It's worse especially since (Not that I want to toot my own horn but) I do pretty well on the team.
I hear it all the time, stuff like "Oh, you're Akiyama-kun! I watched you during the last game and you were so cool! Do you want to hang out with us after school?" and everything in between. Give me a break, please. I always end up going with them, but it never goes beyond being acquaintances. Seriously, I don't even become friends with them! It's like every time I get invited out by these girls it's only ever because of that reason. After a few of those, I've almost given up on finding real friends amongst the girls. I didn't realize it was this hard to make friends with girls, let alone the struggle it is to find a decent girl to have a crush on!
There's no way I could even have a crush on these types of girls. It's so annoying seeing it every week. The worst offender so far was a girl who got friendly with me just so she could get closer to our captain, Hayama. Like, hello?! What is wrong with girls?! He's good, but he's not THAT good! I could have sworn he has a girlfriend too! At least, I think he does. There's that Yumiko girl that hangs around him all the time, but the team manager Isshiki-san likes to get close to him too. Is she pursuing him too? If having a girlfriend doesn't deter others from pursuing you, then I'm truly scared of girls!
My days continue with nothing changing from the norm. I wake up, go to school, practice soccer, go home, study, and whatever else. My days since starting high school were not as I expected back when I was a naïve middle schooler. "I'll join the soccer team and be cool! I want a cute girlfriend that will support me every day! I want fun filled days of youth!" That's what I said to myself to pump myself up for my new life at high school.
I was tired of my old self; high school was my chance to change. Thankfully puberty and my genes were kind to me. I grew to about five feet and eleven inches tall, and because I was already active and liked soccer, I was able to successfully join the Sobu high school soccer team. Everything after that stagnated and my life was usual as always. I had more friends now, but I still couldn't find a girl that I liked, nor girls that wanted to be "real" friends.
~ x ~
Several weeks of normal school life passed and nothing of note happened. Except that wasn't the case for the last two weeks. There was something out of the ordinary. That being Fujiwara Ayame, a girl that I've started noticing appear in my life recently.
Now when I say "appear", I mean I've noticed a pattern of hers over the last few weeks. To explain, she's a classmate of mine that sits diagonally across from me, so I'm always looking at her back. She's a quiet girl and I know next to nothing about her. She has barely any social presence, but yet I've been seeing her more often than usual lately, and even in places that I never expected her to be.
The little I do know about her is that she doesn't have any friends. At least, not in our school. I've never seen her talk to anyone except for when she had to for class work. I didn't want to assume she had no friends; she could have some in neighboring schools. I wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt, but that might not be the case. I tried to use my connections to find out more about her.
I subtly asked my friends and classmates about Fujiwara to see if they knew anything. Turns out, she really has no presence at all. People either didn't know who she was at all or knew about as much as me. When I came up with nothing, I felt bad for her. But it was making it hard on me since I wanted to know what her reason for showing up at our practices was.
Fujiwara has been hanging around the soccer team practices lately. What is she doing, does she actually like sports? She even showed up to one of our games. I didn't think Fujiwara was the type to enjoy sports. Normally loners (source me) would never attend school events, let alone actually cheer for the team.
Yes, it was surprising the first time I saw it, but Fujiwara was cheering for the team in her own quiet way. No one probably noticed her, but I did. She looked like she was trying her best, waving around a little team flag handed out to the audience. She wasn't being loud or cheering verbally, but she was showing her support for the team amongst a sea of people.
For a moment, I had a selfish thought that she was cheering me on. I laughed it off as my mind being stupid. Was I really that desperate for a girl to pay attention to me? I mean, assuming that because I noticed a girl that never gets noticed, she would like me? But I continued to have that selfish wish in the back of my mind despite thinking I was stupid for it. Girls don't look out for me, and Fujiwara was probably there for someone else anyway. They always are.
~ x ~
Several more weeks passed, and we were coming up on the culture festival. Fujiwara continued to watch our practices from afar and attend our games. Lately, we've actually had chances to talk. Though it was only for school related stuff... In terms of sociability, I seriously suck at it.
I previously said my mind was stupid, but now it's completely stupid. I think I might actually have a crush on Fujiwara. I mean, why not?! When you look at her, she's totally cute! It's amazing to think she has so little presence in the class, she's actually quite beautiful. I don't know if it's because we have Isshiki in our class or not (taking the entire class's attention), but I find it hard to believe that she has no friends. Maybe they haven't gotten a good look at her yet?
The only thing I can say is the class must assume it's better to not talk with her since she's so shy. But isn't that kinda bad? If I were her, I'd at least like it if my classmates would acknowledge my existence from time to time. That's how I felt in middle school…
I didn't think it was possible for me to find someone this "interesting". There was no reason for me to get attracted to her, nor was there any indication that my feelings could be reciprocated. I just suddenly found myself crushing on her.
I don't know what sparked it, but I can tell you that this was the start of a series of worries and complications on my part. Because when I actually tried to befriend her during the culture festival, it was like everything was trying to go against me. Those few days of agony came as the festival was being put together.
"Alright, we need volunteers for the culture festival committee, one boy and one girl. Anyone here want to volunteer? If we don't get any, I'll just select you at random." Our homeroom teacher was assigning volunteers for the festival committee.
I had no interest in volunteering for the committee, after all I had already dedicated myself to helping my friends with the class theme. There's no point in me volunteering at all, is what I thought. At the same time, I was thinking about inviting Fujiwara to go to the festival with me. I'll befriend her at the festival, there's no reason to worry.
But suddenly, the one girl I thought was farthest from raising her hand, raised her hand. Fujiwara Ayame volunteered to join the committee.
What!? Hold on, shit! In the moment I was less worried about why she volunteered but more so that she did. This was both adding chaos to my plan but also, at the same time, provided me with an opportunity. This is a chance to get closer to her!
In my head I thought of the possibilities this single event opened for me. "Hey—Fujiwara, let's do this work together! Fujiwara, I don't think we'll finish all of this before school ends, want to hang out at a restaurant and finish it there? By the way Fujiwara, what do you like to do after school? Fujiwara, do you want to be friends?"
Of course! Working on the committee is perfect! I'll have an excuse and I can use that to befriend her! I was just about to raise my hand when I realized I was, of course, an idiot.
Shit, you idiot! I already said I would help my friends with the class booth! Not to mention we're going to do some practice games for soccer. I had already forgotten! I won't be able to do that and be on the committee at the same time…
Hmm—I could probably find some way to be excused from practice and helping the class, but it would be pretty hard to give an exact reason why. I was also aware of the shit I'd get from my friends if I suddenly went and said, "Oh, sorry! I've got something personal to do!" Then if they found out I was doing it to get a girl they'd grill me hard.
So in the end I never raised my hand, and my first chance at getting close to Fujiwara was a complete miss. I say first chance, because there was a second and third chance too. You could say I had many, many chances after that. They never went as planned because a certain someone kept getting in my way.
It seems like Fujiwara was able to befriend someone during her time on the committee. Now don't get me wrong, I am totally happy that she got a friend! In fact, this should be celebrated! But the person in question was Shiromeguri Meguri, the student council president. I have no issue with Shiromeguri-san herself, but it seems like every time Fujiwara was in trouble or struggling, Shiromeguri-san would appear out of nowhere and help her before I could even make my move!
Fujiwara was doing a lot of manual labor for some reason, and it didn't even look like work she was assigned! Were people on the committee pushing their work onto her like that!? I heard there were problems with the committee, but I didn't realize it would be affecting Fujiwara too.
She's working so diligently for the festival despite all this. She looks cute doing it, especially when she struggles. Ah, but of course I want to help her out! But that Shiromeguri person keeps getting in my way!
The time came when my last (desperate?) chance finally came around. I was leaving practice when I saw Fujiwara struggling with a poster. She was too short to reach the only spot that wasn't taken on the bulletin board.
Is… this it? I looked around frantically. Shiromeguri-san was nowhere in sight. I walked closer and closer and there were still no signs of her. So, she's not going to make an appearance today. I can finally make my move! I made my way up behind Fujiwara without her noticing. With all the confidence I could muster, I grabbed the poster and stuck it to the board effortlessly.
"There you go."
"Oh, thank you." She was rather okay with that, which surprised me. I thought she would be very shy about it. But she's still so quiet I could barely hear her.
"Ah..."
"..?" I looked down at her curiously. She quickly turned around to face me.
"Eh, eh? A-A-A-Akiyama-kun?!" Woah, that was quite the stutter there. Fujiwara looked as if she saw a ghost, then backed into the wall with a fair amount of force.
Wait, is she scared of me? Oh no, I don't look scary, do I?! I know I'm a member of the soccer team and the guys sometimes use their status to hit on girls, but I'm not that kind of guy, honestly! This is my first normal interaction with her and the first thing she does is back away from me out of fear… I cried a little on the inside imagining the misunderstandings that could be forming between us right now.
"Um, Fujiwara-san...?" I had a slightly disappointed look as I called out to Fujiwara to catch her attention. She responded fairly quickly.
"A-Akiyama-kun… what are you doing h-here? Aren't you busy with p-practice… or helping the class…?"
"Oh… well… nah, not really. I wanted to help you out—It looked like you were in trouble… haha!" I nervously laughed and scratched the back of my head. Gosh this is embarrassing. I'm so awkward I have no idea what to say in this situation. I guess I'll try to play it cool… yeah, whatever cool is…
"So uh, do you need help with this?" I pointed down towards the box of posters on the floor. There were quite a few left; if she tries to refuse my help I could offer to carry the box at least. But I won't back down, I'll definitely help her and I will become her friend!
"Oh, y-you don't have to do that… I should be fine by my—"
"It's fine yeah? I want to help you Fujiwara-san so it's fine." I interrupted her.
"A-Are you sure?"
"Yeah, it's no big deal. Here." I leaned down and picked up the box of posters. I tried to give her my best smile. "Let's get these up yeah?"
She seemed to relax a little. I could have sworn she let out a deep breath, but I wasn't really paying attention. I was too busy focusing on what to say next.
"T-Thanks…"
"No problem…!"
And just like that, we went together to put up posters around the school.
~ x ~
"So, Fujiwara-san."
"Y-Yes?"
"Is the committee pushing work onto you?"
"Huh? Uhm, n-no not really…"
"You sure?"
"Well, it's nothing too bad…"
"So, they have been doing it."
"Ah, but—I've been getting help from Meguri-senpai, so it's really not that much. Though I don't like bothering her so much…"
"I see, but don't you think it's rude for them to push their work onto you? I'd get pretty mad if I were you."
"Yes, I guess it is quite annoying sometimes. But it's fun knowing that all of my hard work is going to pay off in the end. If anything, I enjoy having work to do. I always feel accomplished after getting something done." She said with full confidence, and didn't even stutter. She left me speechless for a moment.
Sheesh, this girl. Does nothing faze her in the end? She gets visibly nervous but is completely fine with how she's being treated. She must have accepted her fate, which doesn't make me happy at all. She should try to rely on others a little more.
"Fujiwara… If you don't mind—If you're ever in a pinch, don't hesitate to ask me for help."
"Huh? Y-You help… me…?"
"Yeah, if you don't mind."
"A-Are you sure...?"
"Yes, I'm sure."
"…." She was holding some posters in her hand. She brought them up to cover her face and mumbled softly.
"Thank you…"
I think she wanted me to hear that, but maybe at the same time she didn't because she was too shy. But I did hear it.
"No problem. Anytime."
Fujiwara let out a small meep, which only made me want to pamper her like crazy. This girl is so cute!
Interlude
~ Yuzuki calls a friend ~
On a Saturday night...
"Ahh~ That hit the spot. I never get tired of your ramen!"
"And you never cease to amaze me with how much you can eat…"
"Course I can hun! I've got a second stomach for ramen! Not to mention, I've got myself an amazing cook for a husband... hehe." Yuzuki grabbed her husband's arm and snuggled him.
"Geez, Yuzu-chan…" He leaned his head over and kissed her forehead.
"I'll go start the dishes."
"Sure." The two let go of each other, her husband heading for the kitchen sink and Yuzuki for the couch.
She laid down and grabbed a pillow, quietly humming to herself. Another good day of flirting and enjoying time with her husband. Yuzuki was also excited about work. She was previously a middle school teacher, but now she moved up to high school. Better yet, she was able to snag the position of a club advisor, which was something she always wanted.
Oh, now that I think about it, I haven't talked to Shizuka-chan in a while. I should give her a call! Yuzuki picked up her smartphone and called Shizuka.
"Hello?"
"Shizuka-chan, how's it going?"
"Oh, Yuzuki. I'm doing alright, what's up?"
"Hey! listen to this—I'm the advisor for a club now!" Yuzuki puffed her chest out, but Shizuka couldn't actually see what she was doing. Knowing how she is though, Shizuka knew she was excited.
"Heh, you don't have to get all excited just because you've never been trusted with one before. So? Which club is it?"
"The Service Club."
"Huh!?" Shizuka screamed into the phone. "I thought those two got tired of it!"
"That so? The four of them seem to be having a good time…"
"Four?"
"Ah let's see, I think it's that Hachiman kid you've always talked about. Him and his girlfriend, then there's his sister and some Yui girl."
"So that's how it is, I see. That makes me a little worried." Shizuka ignored the part about his girlfriend and focused on the mention of Yuigahama.
"Something wrong?"
"Hmm, I'm not sure. I'd like to think they've moved on to a new stage in their life, but since I'm not there I don't know what the atmosphere is like."
"I don't think there's any bitterness in the air… so far they're like a normal club."
"Yeah? Well maybe I shouldn't worry too much. If you need help dealing with Hikigaya and Yukinoshita, let me know. I know their weaknesses."
"You really know your students. I'll keep that in mind."
"Of course. Though those two are easy to read, I don't think they will be difficult for you. By the way, could you do me a favor Yuzuki?"
"Sure, what is it?"
"Keep an eye on them for me."
"Already on it!"
"Oh really? Thanks. I want to make sure they have a good final year. I couldn't be there to give it to them…"
"Don't worry, I've already got some plans for them. I'll make sure they have a really good year... heheh…"
"Hey, Yuzuki, you're sounding a little scary… don't do anything I wouldn't do, alright?"
"What are you talking about Shizuka-chan? Aren't you scarier than me? You know—how you always scare all those boys away."
"… Shut up."
"Hahaha! Geez, calm down Shizuka-chan, what's with that scary aura coming through the phone? You gonna kill me?"
"I can still beat your ass, Yuzuki!"
"Sure you can, sure you can. I'm sure the delinquent Shizuka-chan is still in top-form just like her high school days."
Yuzuki enjoyed teasing Shizuka. They've been close friends ever since high school, so she knows many of her "dark" secrets. Like how Shizuka is bad with dating anyone, cares about ramen a tad too much, and is a total shounen otaku. Though Shizuka tries to hide all that, it's really obvious to anyone who pays attention to her for at least five minutes. But Yuzuki was very much the same, and that's how they were able to stay friends for so long.
"Hey—why don't we go out for ramen some time? We need to hang out like old times."
"Sure, if it's ramen I'm down anytime!"
"Awesome, we'll have to find some time then. While I'm at it, how's your search for a husband going?"
"Hey! Are you seriously looking for a fight?!"
"I'm just playing with you Shizuka-chan, hahaha!" Yuzuki once again ignored Shizuka's threat.
"Well, everything's fine with me right now. Things have been looking up recently though." Shizuka gave her a short but positive answer, having calmed down.
"Oh? Find someone? Where is he? Can I meet him?" Yuzuki enthusiastically responded, inciting Shizuka's rage once again…
"No!"
Shizuka slammed her phone down into the receiver with a loud clack, leaving the end-of-call tone and a laughing Yuzuki.
~ x ~
After school on Monday...
As I left my class, I noticed a girl with black hair standing opposite of the door. She was looking down the hall as she gripped the school bag slung over her shoulder. I was taken aback by her beauty—and the fact this wasn't where we normally meet after class.
"There you are." She turned her head once she noticed my presence.
"Well, this is my class. Though I'm surprised you came to greet me here of all places."
"I managed to get out of class early, so I decided why not."
"Ah, that so?"
"Yes."
Her reason was just because of a coincidence. I kind of wanted her to say that she ran here just to see me… but I guess I wouldn't hear that from Yukino. Maybe in my dreams, maybe in my dreams…
"You are meeting Akiyama-kun after practice today?"
"Yeah."
"I see, then I'll accompany you until then."
"Sure, I guess."
Yukino pinched my arm.
"Hey, what's that for?"
"Why are you so unenthused? Have you forgotten already? Who was it that wanted to spend more time together? Sometimes you truly are an idiot."
"Oh, right. Sorry, thanks."
Crap, I shouldn't have said it like that… I just don't know how to react when she says something so unexpected of her. I tried changing the subject.
"Anyway, how was class?"
"Same as usual, I suppose. The girls in my class are still interested in my romantic life as ever. They keep asking me all sorts of questions…" Yukino gripped the side of her temple.
"Tiring? Not that I'd know anything about it, I can't relate at all. The guys in my class just give me death stares for no reason."
It's a sad tale, my life that is. If I'm not being overlooked, I'm subject to other's envy. If I were someone else, there's no way I'd envy me. No way. My life has so little value, and if they knew what it was like having to deal with Yukino they'd have second thoughts. Of course she has the looks, but I'm the only person who could deal with such a woman. So sorry guys, but I'll have to be the one that takes the hit.
"You do have that effect on people. Maybe you should stop looking at them with those eyes of yours?"
"I'm not doing anything like that! They're just jealous. I hear them mutter things like, 'He's her boyfriend? That doesn't make any sense.' 'If he's what she likes then maybe I would have had a chance.' Stuff like that. The girls don't even pay attention to me."
"Really? That's fine with me."
"How!? That's pretty cruel, are you okay with me being ignored and ridiculed like that?"
"No, it just means they don't see your true value, which is okay with me."
What is she saying all of a sudden… Stop! I can't handle those words coming out of that mouth! I feel like I'm committing some kind of crime, or breaking the universe!
"W-What does that mean…?"
"Hmm, I wonder?" She smiled.
This girl… quit teasing me!
~ x ~
"Well, we've reached our destination. I'll be going home now."
We continued talking about our day as we left the school building. We were now at the school gate where we planned to part ways.
"Right, see you." I turned to the direction of the soccer field.
"Hachiman." She called out to me before we could get any farther away from each other. I turned around to see one of the best sights in recent memory.
"Hm?"
"I'll talk to you later…" She gently waved her hand to me, a slight blush across her face. Gahh, shit she's cute! I'm gonna have to text her when this is over!
"Y-Yeah, talk to you later…" I waved back embarrassed, and we headed our separate ways.
Now for uncertainty. How am I going to talk to this Akiyama guy? I know nothing about him other than he's on the soccer team. Fujiwara described him as "cool" and "has fun with his friends" so maybe he'll be my enemy? No idea, I hope I don't have to deal with an annoying normie like Tobe, or God forbid, another Hayama. I really don't want the existence of a second Hayama.
I reached the bleachers and sat down, waiting for practice to finish. This afforded me ample time to take in my surroundings and gauge my target. Alright, so which one of you loud sporty athletes is Akiyama?
I looked over the field and tried to identify Akiyama. Since I don't know what he looks like, I decided to use one of my 108 skills, [Eavesdropping]. Ultimately, this was a subset of my [Human observation] ability, but it allowed me to focus on the information I actually needed, which was a name.
The thing about this was, I had to rely on the players to shout each other's names during a play. If they did shout a name, but it wasn't the guy I wanted, I could use process of elimination and narrow it down to just a few players. It was time consuming and tedious work.
It was working so far; I was able to narrow it down. But I still have yet to hear Akiyama's name being called. I'm getting annoyed having to remember these guys' names which I'll never use in the future. This probably wasn't the most efficient approach… though I really didn't want to walk up to them and ask.
Five more minutes and I still couldn't identify Akiyama. The team dispersed from the field; practice had ended. Crap, my plan isn't working at all. I'll have to resort to plan B at this rate… Then suddenly a voice started speaking to me from out of nowhere.
"Hey there, Hikigaya-kun. You need something from the soccer club? Or maybe you need something from me?"
Great, Plan B came to me without lifting a finger. I didn't want to rely on this guy, but I've got no choice. It's not that I hate his entire being with a great fiery passion, no. I didn't want to owe him any favors or rely on his help again.
"Where did you get that idea from? A moogle?"
"Haha, I'm not sure what you're talking about."
"Of course you don't, and that's okay. Because today I'll be the taskmaster and the one asking for menial requests and not the other way around." Just like annoyingly cute woodland creatures, I'd have Hayama do all of the work for me.
"So you do need me for something."
"I need you to fetch someone for me—and don't worry yourself on trying to help, I just need to talk with him."
"Alright, who is it?"
"Akiyama Akio."
"Akio? What do you need him for?"
"That's confidential, information's on a need-to-know basis." I stubbornly refused to give him any details. If he stuck his nose any farther into this, he would give his two cents on the matter, and that would surely annoy me to no end. Not to mention any opinion of his wouldn't be of any use to the requester in question.
He gave me a dry laugh, then shrugged his shoulders. "Alright, I'll go get him."
And just like that, Hayama did all the work of finding Akiyama for me. Now all I have to do is handle the rest.
~ x ~
"Here he is."
The guy Hayama brought was super tall, easily six feet just by the fact he was looking down at me. He had spiky brown hair, and luckily for me, didn't look like the kind of guy who would beat me up and ask for my lunch money. Then again…
I walked back to the bleachers and sat down, leaving Hayama behind. At least he was a man of his word, he didn't get himself involved and left me to my work.
"I'm Hikigaya Hachiman from the Service Club—"
"The Service Club? Oh, I know you guys!"
Immediately interrupted. Great.
"You already know who we are?"
"Yeah, I helped with a lot of the school events last year. Weren't you the ones who put together those proms?"
"Hahah…" I scratched my head. "Yeah, we did do that…"
"So, you guys need help again?"
"Ah, no. It's nothing like that." At least, there shouldn't be anything… I never want to do that ever again. I'll make sure of it..!
"Akiyama, you're dating Fujiwara Ayame, right?"
"H-How do you know that…?"
Huh? Wait, is he like Fujiwara or is he about to kick my ass? I was having a hard time reading his expression.
"You never told anyone?"
"N-No! I didn't! How do you know?!" Akiyama was getting antsy. He stepped closer to me. I put my arms out in front of me to keep him from getting right in my personal space.
"C-Calm down for a second. Let me explain."
After getting him to step back for a moment, I explained the situation to him.
"Fujiwara came to us about a request, and I wanted to ask you a few questions."
"Fujiwara asked for your help? Oh no, is she in trouble? Is there a problem?" Akiyama was like a mother whose child was having issues at school, which was quickly breaking all of the preconceptions I had about him.
"Are you like some kind of mother hen!?"
"If it seems that way, well yeah! She's my first girlfriend!"
"I-I see…" I don't think I need to ask about it any further. "I'll get straight to the point. Do you have any plans of asking her out on a date?"
"A date... well, yeah…. At some point."
"You don't look confident at all…"
I'm beginning to have my doubts, was this guy really a normie? Then again there's the case of Toby, even he had problems with girls. But this guy's reactions were really suspect…
"Well, that's… just… look at her!" He quickly pulled out his phone. "L-Look how cute she is!"
Shoving his phone in my face, I gave it a deadpan stare.
"What does this have anything to do with going on a date with her?"
"Can't you tell?"
"No."
Akiyama sighed, "Of course you wouldn't, you don't know what it's like having to ask a cute girl out."
Excuse me? That's complete bullshit. I was starting to get an idea of what he was talking about, though in the same thought I was reminded about Hiratsuka telling me to man-up…. Then I got an idea.
"So you lack the confidence to ask her out because she's cute, huh?" I folded my arms. "Well, I know a girl even cuter than her and already asked her out. We've already gone on dates too."
A competition. If there was one thing that could spark a man into action, it was a competition to see who was best. Especially when it came to women.
"What? No way, who!?"
"Heh." I held up the best picture of Yukino I had on my phone. "Yukinoshita Yukino." Read 'em and weep Akiyama! I didn't plan on showing off here, but I was getting enjoyment out of knocking this guy down a peg.
"Eh. Fujiwara's cuter."
The hell?
"No, surely you must know Yukino is the best."
"Dude, she's got nothing on my cute Fujiwara."
"My good man, you just don't understand. Yukino is the epitome of gap moe. That eliminates any and all forms of 'regular cute'."
"Regular?! No, no, no, Fujiwara is cuteness itself! She's beyond any known definition of cute!"
"Look at this genuine smile! Yukino is totally the best!"
The two of us began to growl at each other like angry wolves. Yukino was right, the two of us ended up talking about our girlfriends in a way that wouldn't be possible had she been here. Though, I don't think he and I will agree on this subject, and it wouldn't be good if we became enemies here and now.
"Agree to disagree, then."
"Hmph." He put away his phone. "You're lucky I'm feeling rather happy."
"How could you be happy about this argument?" If you were saying all that about Yukino just for fun, apologize right now dammit!
"I don't get to talk like this with my other friends."
Looks like he had some kind of baggage after all. I was getting this sneaking suspicion about his character the entire conversation. This guy was nothing like a normie, nothing like Hayama who was in the same sports club.
"Why don't you? Isn't that something you talk to friends about?"
"I guess it is. But me, it's different. I don't like the rumors, or when people try to mess with your feelings. I've seen people get crushed simply because you're in a relationship. I didn't want Fujiwara to get wrapped up in that."
"That's why you freaked out when I said I already knew?"
"I suppose. I think I was more surprised that Fujiwara had asked you guys for advice. I probably should be more honest with her…."
"About how you're an ex-loner?"
"What makes you think that?!"
"Just a guess. I don't think many normies care about what others think when going into a relationship."
"You're really astute…"
"I'm the king of the loners, you can't hide from my sight."
Another one of my 108 skills, [Loner Detection], an ability that allows me to seek out other loners. It doesn't have any real constructive use though; it was pretty much useless.
"Well, you've got me. If I'm going to start being honest with myself, I might as well start now. I was a loner through middle school until I made my high school debut."
Despite unveiling his dark past on a whim, I was finding it hard to believe that face was previously in a situation like me.
"I changed my image before entering Sobu High. I even went and applied for the soccer club. Though after everything I'm still bad with girls… ha."
So this was the effort one had to put into changing your status as a loner. Frankly, even if I had made it to school normally two years ago, I wouldn't have been as successful as him. I had the mindsight that everything would come easily if I could just be there at the start and say the right things to the right people. But Akiyama took the initiative and struck while the iron was hot. Unlike me, he didn't sit around waiting for change to come. I can't lie, I'm impressed. There was a slight twinge somewhere in my body that felt like camaraderie. Even so, I kinda want to punch his face in.
"If you wanted to change so much, and you've been quite successful already, why haven't you done the same with Fujiwara?" I was beginning to feel this whole thing was pointless….
"Girls are just different y'know?! This is like, real serious. Love is something I don't want to mess up. I'm not like you at all."
"I don't really know what I'm doing, actually."
"Aren't you dating Yukinoshita though?"
"So?"
"What do you mean, 'so'? If you don't know what you're doing, then how did you get her?!"
"No idea. I can't believe it myself."
"What about Yukinoshita?"
"She's got no idea either."
"So you're both useless! What's the point of asking you two for advice!?"
"I don't know, that's what I was thinking."
"What the heck…" Akiyama slouched.
"Seriously speaking, it would be in your best interest to be honest with her. She clearly thinks you're out of her league, and it seems like you know that already."
"So that's where the date comes in?"
"What better way to be honest than to spend time together? Even with my lack of experience, I'd say it's the perfect remedy."
"I'll have to try my best then when I get the chance. Thanks, Hachiman."
"O-Oi, I didn't say you could use my first name like that…"
"Why not? Aren't we friends now?"
"Friends? Why would we be friends, we only just met."
"Dude, come on! We talked so much about our girlfriends! We gotta stick together and support each other!" He jumped over and threw his arm around my neck with an odd familiarity. W-What is this…? Is this that bro-moment thing happening right now? Am I actually experiencing friendship? I don't know how to react to this…
"You're really close…"
"Haha, Hachiman you're really funny you know that? We're kinda like, kindred spirits don't cha think? (lol)"
Did he really just (lol) me? This guy has some nerve… Calling us kindred spirits, I oughta punch him…!
"I get it, I get it. Call me whatever you want." I walked away to get his arm off my neck. "Anyway, I think I'll head home."
"Oh, sure. Catch you later, Hachiman!"
And with that, I left the field and headed home. Somehow after talking to Akiyama, I ended up making a friend. Who knows how that will turn out?
My conversation with Akiyama got me thinking about my first year again. If things were different, and I actually made an effort, would I have turned out just like him? I used to think that even if the accident didn't happen, I would have turned out as a loner anyway. Still the same cringeworthy, cynical mess that I ended up becoming.
I told the same thing to Yuigahama, but was that really the truth? Akiyama was able to accomplish what he set out to do despite the circumstances. Could it have been the same for me?