Ay bwset. I barely got one out after the 2 year anniversary. I may be cooked for another 2 years I won't lie. What moving into a dorm in another city for senior high does to a mf. I spent my entire summer making the most of having the beach and a waterfall at my doorstep and hanging out with friends before I go back to school, but I was able to write around 50 words a day so I call that a success.
Enjoy the chapter. It's a bit shorter than usual, but I worked hard :3
Btw I found a Korean grocery that sells MAX Coffee so I tried one and good lord is it disgusting.
07/24/2024
Chapter 4: A Delightful Date(s?)
"The original Kinkaku-ji burned down in 1950 but has been restored to what we see today. Shariden, where the relics of Buddha are housed, is very famous for its gold-plated appearance, which is why it's called Kinkaku-ji. However, its official name is Rokuon-ji." Yukinoshita recited, reading from a clipboard with a paper I'm one-hundred percent sure she printed out herself.
"The phoenix at the top is the original right?" I asked, wanting to contribute something.
"Supposedly." Yukinoshita nodded, "It symbolizes divine favor, virtue, and harmony."
"...because those things can be seen in a flaming bird." I squinted at it.
"Supposedly."
"Ooh, those people are throwing coins!" Yuigahama suddenly exclaimed behind us, "supposably if we shoot it in that pot, we will get good luck!"
"Supposably…" Yukinoshita mumbled, eyes empty.
"Can we go?"
I flinched. Those puppy dog eyes are too bright.
Yukinoshita looked apprehensive but eventually folded, "Why not?"
Whipped.
Well, it's not like I'm one to talk.
After throwing a few coins, the three of us were able to shoot a collective four coins into the pot. I'm not sure how that translates to the amount of luck we get, but I hope at least that it's enough luck to prevent any bad weather tomorrow.
At some point during the coin-throwing, Yukinoshita looked at the time on her watch and started pushing me and Yuigahama from behind, hurrying us to our next destination. Something about 'staying on schedule' and 'running out of time'.
Couldn't be me.
…moving on.
"Kitano Tenman-gu?" Yui looked up at the arch at the entrance of the temple.
"The god enshrined here is known as the 'God of Academics' so this place is popular with students preparing for college exams." Yukinoshita explained, "These cows around the shrine are said to make you smarter when you rub their heads." She then patted it on the head while smiling softly.
"Cute…" Yui muttered.
Heh.
"You should rub the cows a lot, Yuigahama." I said.
"Eh?" She snapped out of her daze. "Wait, are you calling me stupid?!"
"...no, I just think you could use the help." I tried to reason.
"Stupid, idiot, HikkI!" She shouted, hitting me weakly on the shoulder repeatedly as Yukinoshita chuckled at our antics. "What Yuigahama lacks in brains she makes up for in…" Her eyes flickered downwards for a split second before blushing. "other areas." She said.
"Mou… not you too Yukinon!" She whined at Yukinoshita, which somehow meant hitting me even harder.
"Aha, would you look at that…" I turned away awkwardly from the Yuigahattack. "They have ema here."
"Ema, huh?" Yukinoshita mused, "it's been a while since I've written one."
"Ema! Yukinon, let's go write one!"
Phew, distraction successful.
I smiled as I watched Yuigahama drag Yukinoshita along excitedly, pulling on her arm.
"W- wait, Yuigahama-san!"
"Mwahahaha!"
I wandered around a bit and tried to appreciate the sights, meaninglessly counting the number of cows in the shrine area until I noticed a certain someone buying charms.
"Um, I'll have one match-making good luck charm."
"That'd be 400 yen.."
I walked past her. "Fighting!"
Hiratsuka-sensei froze.
Well then, I want to write some ema too. And so I ran as fast as I could towards the direction my friends went.
"HIKIGAYAAAAAAA!"
*Technical Difficulties*
After a long day of walking around Kyoto, running away from the self-proclaimed 'bro gang' who just wanted to 'get to know me better' while dodging any and all questions relating to the fact that a few trustworthy informants said that I, Hikigaya "Ultimate Loner" Hachiman, have a super cute girlfriend, our class finally returned to the inn.
I thought that the 'bro gang' could keep quiet until we at least got back to Chiba, but I suppose I underestimated the riajuu's primal need to open their mouths.
Fortunately, I was able to avoid dropping any soap in the bath, but I wasn't able to escape the game of monopoly that Tobe, very loudly, proclaimed that he wanted to play to 'deepen our bonds as men'.
I heard someone squealing outside our door but I chose to ignore that.
And so, after two hours of grueling dice-rolling, very slick question dodging, and crying over mortgaged properties, the second day of our Kyoto field trip ended.
•8•
I woke up and checked my phone, seeing that I had a few messages. Kaori sent me a one around four in the morning.
Kaori - We have left for Kyoto!
I smiled.
Hachiman - Have a safe trip.
I took note of the time; seven-forty. I also noticed that I had a few notifications from Syosetu and GANMA!. Usually, I'd lay in bed until I'd finished reading all of the updates, but today I couldn't stay in bed for long if I wanted to take my time before leaving the inn.
Damn. I wonder how many people wake up and instantly check their phones. It's practically a part of us at this point. The AI invasion might as well have already begun. With the amount of information that's on the internet- surely a part of it is sentient by now, right?
…
I rubbed the drowsiness and consequently ridiculous thoughts out of my eyes as I sat up from my futon. Totsuka's back was touching my leg as he hugged a pillow, curled up and drooling slightly.
We must stay focused, brothers.
He must be really tired from yesterday… I know that he usually wakes up around four-thirty everyday to do tennis training. So diligent! So admirable! Maruo would be proud of him.
Today was the final day of our class trip. Sensei had told everyone to do whatever we wanted until it was time to regroup, as long as everyone in our group was on board. My group didn't really care about what I did though, and I wasn't even sure who the people in my group were, so I'm sure it'll be fine if I step out for a few hours… Surely.
I showered and got dressed before going downstairs to the lobby of the inn. I grabbed a sandwich and a can of coffee. Unfortunately, they didn't sell MAX in Kyoto, so I had to settle for some generic original blend coffee. I already miss the taste of my beloved sickly-sweet caramel coffee…
Ahem.
After quickly finishing my sandwich, I threw the wrapper in the trash and made my way to the main entrance. Checking my watch at around 8:15, I double checked my pockets, making sure I had my wallet and phone.
"Yosh." I exhaled, walking towards the exit.
But before I stepped out of the building, a certain someone caught my eye, sitting on one of the lounge chairs, reading a book.
"Yo." I called out to her.
She froze, closing her book before looking at me.
"Hikigaya-kun." She acknowledged. "Meeting up with Orimoto-chan, are you?"
"Yep. Komachi as well." I replied, looking at Yukinoshita up and down. "...you… you're wearing makeup?"
"I fail to see how that is your concern, Hikigaya-kun." Yukinoshita's eye twitched, "and for the record, I always wear makeup. Men, I swear…"
"Well, it's a lot more obvious than usual. I wonder who you're trying to show of t-"
Antarctica, the southernmost continent and site of the South Pole, is a virtually uninhabited, ice-covered landmass. Most cruises to the continent visit the Antarctic Peninsula, which stretches toward South America. It's known for the Lemaire Channel and Paradise Harbor, striking, iceberg-flanked…
I shivered. It's been a long time since I've had Yukinoshita's signature ice/psychic move directed at me.
"...I'll just ask Yuigahama about it later then." I looked away innocently.
"W- what do you hope to accomplish by doing that?" She replied, but it sounded more like shy mumbling rather than her usual sharp and cold words.
"Have fun." I said with a small smile before walking away.
"..."
"...I will." I heard from behind me, barely a whisper.
I walked away for a good five seconds before the sound of uneven footfalls could be heard from behind.
"Yukinon! Did I make you wait? My hair would like, not go where I wanted it to be!"
"Hah… Here, let me help."
A giggle. "Thanks!"
Fucking adorable, those two.
•8•
Hachiman - I'm here.
Kaori - On the way!
I smiled as I put my phone in my pocket. We had agreed to meet at an intersection a few minutes away from Ninenzaka, where we decided we'd get coffee to cool down a little before walking around. I ended up bringing a little more money than I usually carry around, just because tourist areas tend to overcharge quite a bit.
I spent my entire walk here gaslighting myself into believing that spending some money once in a while for a good time with my girlfriend was a totally rational thing to do and I would definitely not regret it later.
But alas, it's too late to change plans, and I'm actually looking forward to going to the Starbucks that's along Ninenzaka, as somewhat of a coffee enthusiast myself. Not to be confused with those coffee nerds who whisk their grounds to "evenly distribute the water seepage" or whatever the fuck. No, I enjoy the lowest of the low, canned and massed produced, absurdly marked-up coffee shops, and instant coffee.
I was broken out of my spiraling mental rant by someone unlocking my knees from under me. "Yo!" The sound that haunts me in my sleep, as my legs went limp and I struggled to regain my balance. (A/N: If you've ever been "gutom"-ed, you know.)
But just as suddenly as it seemed I was just robbed, I felt warm and soft hands embrace me from behind, steadying me. I smelled cinnamon, as a flash of brown appeared in my peripheral vision, coming up from just above my right shoulder.
"Chu~" My cheek felt hot.
Not gonna lie, I died.
*Technical Difficulties*
"Nee-chan… I think I get why you and onii-chan are so good together now." Komachi deadpanned, "You're both so gross."
"It's okay Komachi-chan! Your time will come eventually!" Kaori replied with a thumbs up.
"No!" I exclaimed, "Komachi, don't listen to this extraterrestrial being, she has no idea what she's talking about!"
""Uwah, sis-con…""
Perfectly in sync! "Did you rehearse that during your sleepover?"
Komachi giggled, "No, but we did a bunch of k-pop choreographies."
"Ne, Komachi-chan is so good at dancing!" Kaori interjected, "It's like night and day seeing us side by side in the videos I took!"
"...how much?" I pulled out my wallet.
"200." Kaori replied.
"100."
"270."
"140. That's the lowest I'll go."
"Free if you try to dance along with it."
"..."
"That's a pretty good deal, onii-chan."
"..."
"Once in a lifetime opportunity, Hachiman."
"...fine, deal."
The two girls shared a high-five.
It's a trap! Well, it's a small price to pay for what I get to witness, albeit as a recording.
"Anyways, is that all you guys did?" I asked, turning to Kaori. "What did your parents think of Komachi?"
"Well, my parents loved her, of course-"
"Of course." I echoed.
"Of course." Komachi echoed my echo,
"-Of course. And we spent most of the afternoon talking while doing each other's makeup and hair and dancing to whatever, but we got tired pretty early, so we called it a night around ten~." Kaori continued, "then we cooked breakfast together before my parents woke up so they were pleasantly surprised.
"That earned us a lot of points!"
"So all in all, pretty good?" I asked.
""Pretty good!""
Damn, this is kind of an uncanny valley. Scary.
"Anyways~, I can see the Starbucks from here." Komachi stopped and pointed at the barely visible logo engraved on a wooden slab in the distance. "I'm gonna go buy souvenirs for my friends now! Have fun, you two!"
I furrowed my eyebrows, "Make sure your phone isn't on silent and always stay alert."
"Hai hai, I'll be fine." She waved her hand dismissively, "I'm fifteen now, you know?"
"There's no harm in being careful, Komachi-chan." Kaori smiled at the younger girl.
"Well, if you say so, nee-chan." she beamed, replying.
"...this is so unfair." I grumbled.
"It's just because you say it really grossly, Hachiman." Kaori patted my head.
"Right."
"Okay, see you later, onii-chan, nee-chan!" Komachi started waking away, "I'll text you when I'm done!"
"Right." I replied, knowing she wouldn't hear me. Kaori and I watched Komachi walk away, a slight skip in her step as she turned the corner.
"..."
"..."
"Thank you. I glad she had a good time." I said, after a few moments of silence. "It means a lot."
"You're sweet." Kaori smiled, before taking a few steps ahead of me and turning her head, reaching her hand out to me. The sun shone against her at an angle, shrouding half of her face in the shadow of her hair, blowing in the wind. Her brown hair glistened like gold, eyes twinkling mirthfully as she whispered quietly, yet her voice was crystal clear. "Let's go, Hachiman."
I grabbed her hand.
•8•
I was still in a daze as we entered the Starbucks. I swear, a romcom anime epilogue event just happened to me. Thank god this is real life and the season isn't over. I don't have to consume copious amounts of copium, trying to convince myself that there'll be a season two.
"Woah." Kaori breathed, letting go of my hand to grab her phone.
"I guess there's a reason why this place is so popular."
The air was cool from the AC, but the warm yellow lighting gave it a comfy feel. Wooden fixtures, sliding doors, and tatami mats gave the impression of a traditional Japanese home, which makes sense when you find out that the building itself used to be an over-a-hundred year old house.
It wasn't too crowded, which was a surprise since apparently this place is usually filled with tourists. Well, it was a weekday during the school-year, not quite the vacation season yet. Most of the people lined up to order were still tourists, though. Which makes sense if you consider that you could get Kyoto-style coffee for much cheaper around here. What kind of self-respecting local would spend 800 yen on a mocha frappe that was mostly ice anyways?
Anyways, after waiting a few minutes to get our drinks, Kaori and I decided to walk around the place and take pictures. So, I sipped my iced mocha frappe and watched Kaori Asian-squat in the middle of the hallway to take pictures of the nakaniwa through the window.
I may or may not have taken a few pictures too. Just not of anything Starbucks related.
After Kaori was satisfied with her pictures, posting them on her story, we headed upstairs to the seating areas. It was strange walking around what felt like an actual house, only to find people sitting on the tatami sipping on drinks and eating pastries. We peaked in two separate rooms that were full before we found a nice open space in another room beside a window.
"Hehehe, look how many people are liking my story…" Kaori giggled creepily before continuing her drink.
"This is the problem with the youth nowadays, so focused on getting validation through social media…" I grumbled.
Kaori just smiled, grabbed my hand and slipped her fingers between mine. She raised both of our arms so that our hands were in front of the window, and took a picture of our intertwined hands with the streets of Ninenzaka as the background.
"H-hey!" I was surprised, "What was that?"
"..." Kaori smirked, "You'll see."
A second later I felt a vibration in my pocket.
Uh oh.
karriemoto tagged you in a post!
"..."
"..."
naka_chika liked a post you're tagged in!
_tamanawa_ liked a post you're tagged in!
+5
"...bruh."
Kaori just laughed.
Welp, I guess that's that.
I put my phone on silent.
"You didn't even like the post!" Kaori pouted, resting her head on her knees.
"Do I have to?"
"Of course! Are you saying you didn't like my picture?"
If it was possible to drag my feet but like, with my hands and my phone, I would have.
Kaori scooted over from across the table, settling beside me. "I can take it down if you want…" she said, uncharacteristically apprehensive. I guess my discomfort showed on my face a little too much.
I sighed, "No, it's okay. People've already seen it anyways."
"I should've asked permission, huh?"
"Maybe."
While we were talking, I saw the post. It was a little blurred, and there was a light flare coming from the sun outside the window, but the silhouette of our clasped hands and the busy street below were clear enough to make out. I clicked on the picture once, and my Instagram handle appeared on top of my hand. I clicked again and hearted it. It was a really nice picture, to be fair.
"I don't even want to look at the comments." I breathed, laughing a little. It wasn't such a big deal, now that I thought about it. I was a private account with a manga panel profile picture, anyway, so it's not like my identity has been revealed to the masses. But hey, old habits die hard. "But yeah, it's fine. Really."
Her furrowed eyebrows told me she wasn't convinced. "Really?"
"I just need some time to get used to being not-a-hiki." I declared. I'm not exactly sure when I started avoiding people, but I used to be a pretty shamelessly friendly kid, albeit a bit awkward. But I guess that's what puberty does to you. Nowadays I've been finding it easier and easier to interact with others. No small thanks to Kaori and the service club, of course. They've really helped me.
"Okay, Hiki." Kaori rested her head on my chest, sipping at the remaining bits of her matcha latte.
"Okay, ET."
"I don't even take offense to that. He's cute."
"Only you would find him cute."
"He looks kinda like you."
"..."
"..."
I looked down at her, trying not to smile at her implying that I was cute. Her hair was all over her face, and her school uniform was crumpled against mine.
I looked into her wide, gleaming eyes and her tiny smirk.
"...you kinda look like him too."
She snorted, then began choking on her drink.
"You okay?" I asked as she stood up.
"Yep- cough I'm fine cough."
I laughed, "I guess that's our sign to get outta here. We don't have all day."
"Yeah, you're right-" She paused, "...Ne, isn't that Yukino-san and Yui-chan?"
"Huh?" I looked at where Kaori was pointing out the window, and sure enough, those two girls were walking down the street in the opposite direction from where we came from.
"Are those two…" Kaori trailed off.
"Yeah…" I replied.
"Aw! We could've had a double-date!" Stars appeared in her irises as she vibrated enthusiastically.
"The thought crossed my mind, too, but I think it's better that they're on their own for now."
"Well, I guess you're right." Kaori crossed her arms. "We should totally have a double-date sometime though."
I entertained the idea for a moment, but after imagining how the interaction with those two would go… yeah, "...I'll leave that to you, then."
She gave me a cute little salute.
•8•
Eventually, we managed to get out of Starbucks and continued our way down Ninenzaka.
Kaori held my hand as we walked in silence. To be honest, I had the urge to start up a conversation, but I couldn't come up with anything to talk about, and I wasn't about to comment on the weather (I already did that earlier). But when I glanced at my girlfriend's face, and saw her content smile as she swung our arms a little more enthusiastically than usual, I felt stupid for thinking I needed to do something in the first place. Even though recently, we started meeting up more often after school, it was always only for an hour or two, before we had to head back home. And even if Saturdays were still reserved for our not-not-dates, I couldn't help but want to spend even more time with her. Back then, when we were still "friends", the urge to be with her wasn't this intense. I might need to start charging her rent for how much space she's taking up in my head.
Was I being selfish? Maybe. Did Kaori feel the same way? Perhaps. Does any of this matter? Probably not.
"I don't want today to end." I unconsciously muttered.
Kaori glanced at me, "Hmm?"
I just smiled, "Nothing."
She giggled a little bit, setting off fireworks in my stomach. "Whatever you say, weirdo."
"If I'm a weirdo what are you?" I asked. It was strange. Even though I've spent so much time with Kaori at this point, her smiles and laughs still managed to put me in a state of taking deep breaths and fidgeting with my shirt, red at the ears.
"According to you, I'd be an alien."
"How's the weather on Mars this time of year?"
"Pretty hot, honestly."
"...not as-" I stopped myself, feeling the blood at the feet switch places with my brain.
Kaori smirked, "Go on."
"...Nevermind."
"Heehee, Hachiman thinks I'm hot~" She sang, squishing herself closer to me, clinging to my arm.
Why do I always make everything harder for myself? Komachi once told me I had self-destructive tendencies, why didn't I listen to her back then?
We continued strolling down the street for several too-short minutes, stopping occasionally to take pictures of stray cats and vintage architecture, while maintaining casual and comfortable conversation.
We passed by some tourist traps, an eerie doll store, and many many overpriced souvenir shops. On a whim, we decided to check out a cute little accessory store (that was apparently trending locally for being affordable, after Kaori recognized the place's name). I decided to buy a Komachi a pretty cool looking yellow pendant necklace, thinking it'd match her favorite hair clips. Speaking of, I also noticed Kaori eyeing a cute little bunny themed hair clip, so I disregarded her protests that she didn't need it and bought it along with my gift for Komachi.
Kaori pouted a little at being ignored, but when I told her the clip looked cute on her, she got all giddy.
So of course, I got a little giddy too, but hid it masterfully. (cap)
Moving on from getting distracted by cats, bunnies, and brown-haired aliens, we eventually decided to cross the street at the Sannenzaka intersection and found a small sweets shop with a noodle restaurant inside it that served specialty unadon and kamo nanban soba.
After spending a few minutes admiring the various sweets for sale (and promising to buy some later) we finally entered the restaurant and were greeted by the savory smells of broth and noodles.
We quickly sat down on the only empty table and ordered their two specialty dishes, deciding to share them both. The place was a little cramped, but it had a nice ambiance and everything looked clean. There were also a few wooden display shelves that had Hina dolls on them, so of course Kaori took pictures.
"I want to remember everything about today!"
"Use your memory then?"
"Hmmp, you'll thank me one day."
"Sure sure."
I couldn't help but smile. With my cheek resting against my hand, I watched as Kaori scrolled through her photo album from across the table. I thought about how, despite spending so much time with my girlfriend, I didn't really look at her all that often. I know that sounds weird, but I realize now that I've had a habit of averting my eyes whenever I talk to people. But hey, there's no use dwelling on it. I needed to make the most of this opportunity. .
I stared intently across the table, and it felt like time had slowed down. The warm lighting bouncing off the red walls made Kaori's wavy brown hair look like it was glowing. Her eyes, half closed from looking down towards her phone, highlighted her long eyelashes that, when she blinked, gently fell right above her defined cheekbones. The way one side of her mouth would twitch into a smile when she swiped to a particular photo, and how she'd let out a little puff of air from her nose in amusement made me feel as though I was staring at a piece of art in some important museum in Europe. I wanted to be sucked into the canvas, analyzing every detail and finding meaning in each stroke.
Bro, what am I waffling on about? Since when was I so schizo? Well, at least I'm not obsessing over mythical snakes or something weird like that.
Our food arrived at the same time, but right as I was about to cut out a piece of the unadon, Kaori swatted my hand away. Why? Picture.
Anyways, after we made sure to document every aspect of our meal, we dug in like wild animals, leaving not a single crumb behind.
"Uwaaa~ That was so good!" Kaori said, rubbing her stomach. "I'm so full."
"You should've eaten more unadon, it was probably the best eel I've ever eaten." I replied.
"But the soba was so perfectly cooked! And the duck? Oh my god."
Kurekure, I'm sorry!
"That's fair, but if I didn't stop you, you would've left none for me!"
"It's not my fault you're a slow eater…"
"You have a tractor beam in your mouth!"
"Yo, pause?"
"Wha-" It took me a second, but when it clicked, I think the blood vessels in the head all simultaneously combusted. "
Kaori's face was also quite red, but I'm not sure if it was from embarrassment or from laughing at me for a solid five minutes.
After all that shenanigans, and a few more minutes of banter, we noted that we only had roughly thirty minutes left before we both had to head back to our respective groups. So we stepped out of the restaurant, and after buying a mochi each for the road, I led us across Ishin no michi before we continued back down Sannenzaka.
There was a Studio Ghibli themed souvenir store at the intersection, so we decided to quickly stop by and see if there was anything worth buying. After walking around for a little bit, we found ourselves standing in front of a wall with various keychains and bag charms. After much debate and deliberation, we ended up buying keychains- a small, intricately carved violin and a book with a tiny bold black print on the front titled "The Baron."
They would be good reminders for future us, I'm sure.
•8•
"So, I guess this is it?" Kaori sighed as we stood outside a nearby park where we'd be splitting up.
"Yeah, we'll see each other in a few days, though." I replied, patting her on the head.
"But I'll misss yoouuuuu!"
"How are you being more bratty than Komachi right now?"
She just pouted before leaning forward and resting her head on my sternum. "Today went by so quickly…."
"It's only been half a day, to be fair."
"That's unfair."
"No, it's lit-" I sighed, "Fine, I'll give you something to think about for a few days."
"What?" She looked up at me, her body still leaning on mine. Her wide-eyed expression made me weak in the knees.
"I got a text this morning from my parents." I explained, "They said that they had a few weeks of vacation at the end of November until Christmas."
"Uhh…"
"I haven't told them about you- and I don't think Komachi's said anything either."
"..."
"...yeah."
"..."
"So, I guess we'll have dinner? Or lunch or something? Around that time?" I was averting my eyes again.
Kaori took a deep breath. "And after that is marriage?"
"...huh?"
Me when shocked Pikachu face.
And cut. Some parts were rushed, but I wanted to get through the entire morning in one sequence, just so that I could wrap up the Kyoto arc. School starts in a week, and I don't know if I'll have the motivation to write with all the essays and shit I'll be writing. (Doesn't help that I have special creative writing classes as part of my track). I want to write for a bunch of other fandoms too- namely Percy Jackson and Horimiya, but time is money and I'm broke asf.
Also, please give me ideas for what to do for the Iroha arc. Like, what am I meant to do with her character at this point? I don't really want to have the Service Club just become the StuCo like in some other stories, but I can't really think of a solution that won't absolutely decimate some of my other plans for later. I look forward to the reviews! Hit me up on Discord if you want, too. (I'm on the Oregairu server as well.)
Well anyways, time for reviews! Yippee!
Thanks so much to all the Guests who reviewed and Father A. Anderson, Ayayacchi, SandiaVida, Deathenglegamers1144, intentzy14, Dangal, TroxX101, 1.61803398874989..., kewkiks, Prinnyramza, keythecoolguy, aiman031122, gontheone, leyviel, shashumga, and noru2k for all the kind words!
lit fuse: I don't know if I'll eveer write a lemon tbh. Not really my thing, ynow? I might have it happen off-screen though... eventually...
wildarms13: I also hope I have the motivation to see this through. But yeah, I'm kinda annoyed at my past self for characterizing these characters the way I did, but I made my bed so...
Panda.k1ing: Disclaimer: I am also very single and this is definitely not what a normal relationship in real life looks like. It's fun to live vicariously through fanfic though, I'll admit. I'm glad you like the story.
tabasco571: Tab, you were horny 2 years ago, you get bonked today.
Wicked.A: I won't be switching POVs in this story. But I might try to imply some stuff about the rumors and stuff later on.
Cryoturtle: Yeah, he was really sore afterwards. From talking, ynow?
Otagema: Me when I turn the most normal character in Oregairu into me but a girl.
Eisenhower Haloway: Yeah, visualizing the scenes really help. I even went on Google street view around Kyoto for a while lmao.
Bluecookie420: Do you think Sally would make weed blue cookies?
locosmocossocos: That's great to hear! Makes me feel like I have meaning in life :D
kewkiks and Henry994788: If I had a nickel... Kinda funny how two people noticed it and decided to comment.
liggachad: I'm not completely sure what you mean, but here's your continious and thanks for promoting my story!
Tambrone: Ngl, your reviews made me laugh the 2 times you posted them and actually made me write a bit each time. I love that meme.
Maximumcarnaval: Right? Me when I suddenly become the same age as the characters and realize that I wrote them like 14 year olds.
Bruhmomentos: Yeah... Not sure if it's necessarily a good thing though. I tried to have some other stuff in this chapter, hope it's fine.