Finally an update!
I wrote this on a bed, being ill for almost a week full and went to reread the reviews, finding a lot of people apparently confused with general timeline? Well, that's kind of understandable. So I'll try to explain it as simple as I can.
When I first wrote this, the atmosphere and characterization was a bit different, and the story as a whole had yet to be established until chapter 3. So for that reason alone, it could be said that there's significant gap between chapter 2 and chapter 3.
From Chapter 3 onward, the whole story took over the course of spring season at the end of first year. And yes, that means Ishigami & other people of his age have yet to enroll officially in Shuchiin.
Chapter 14-16 took place over the course of Spring Vacation. The second year arc will begin starting chapter 17.
With that said, please enjoy.
Minor Warning: Vaguely steamy plot. Read and review at your discretion. :V
"Did you see him?"
"No."
"Where is he-"
The loud rustling to the side alerted them, and their survival instincts flared up. "GRENADE!" One of them shouted and everyone dove into nearby bushes to dodge the inevitable explosion...that never came.
One of them looked up to see what had happened, only to see a single slipper left where the object had fallen before.
It was a rubber slipper.
"AH SHIT-"
The words were cut-off as a single plastic ball hit his temple and caused him to groan, "HIT!"
"Whoa. Ow, hit!"
Another person was hit and out of the game!
The group retaliated with a systematic barrage of guns and grenades in the general direction of the attack, however, they didn't hear any response.
"Check it."
As they crept closer, they found nobody. But, there were traces of exploded toy grenades and some footprints. "He was here. Probably moved out in a hurry."
They heard another loud rustle and expected another slipper. But it wasn't.
"GRENADE!"
"GYAAAAAAH!"
"He's trying to confuse us! Regroup! Regroup!"
They heard a small plink and their eyes went wide in response. Then they heard whistles and a small explosion as something taped to a tree exploded open, throwing dozens of plastic balls with high-pressure carbon dioxide.
"AAAAAAAHHHH!"
"What's with the commotion? Don't tell me he wiped all of you out?"
"All of us."
"Agh, damn it. I told you that jerk doesn't have the guts to fight fair." Momo screamed and gritted her teeth. "I'll take him on myself."
Momo was dressed in a tight-fitting black suit, with a black vest around her chest. A belt with a pair of holsters clung to her waist, secured without fail.
With two leaps, she had already made it to the top of a tree and began watching.
"Bastard." She ducked to dodge a pair of pellets aimed at her forehead. "I'll get you!"
Like a puma, she leaped from one tree to another, seemingly weightless, soundlessly stepping on the trunks and branches, leaving nothing but the faint sound of rustling and fallen leaves behind her!
It couldn't be emphasized enough that Ryuju Momo was a physically exceptional girl. There were few girls, if any, in Shuchiin, that could match her athleticism. Those who did, were generally already famous young athletes!
He's here. I just can feel him!
She pulled out one pistol midair and then rapidly shot it. Carbon gas whistled out, propelling the bb-balls at an exceptional speed in the direction where the barrel was pointed.
Momo could faintly sense something had moved away to dodge while shooting back in her direction.
Keh, even when he's playing dirty, always the type to stick to the rules, huh.
Momo decided to make an active pursuit!
"You're here!"
Momo pivoted and then pulled both her pistols out, only to face a masked man who pointed an assault rifle in her face!
"Looks like it's a draw." Momo grinned.
"No, I lose." Hachiman said as he removed his gas mask, "If you were to pull the trigger I'd be the one who dies."
Hachiman was wearing full military gear, minus the weapons of course. Because he was physically fit, it looked good on him as opposed to looking ridiculous.
"Punctual as always." She shrugged, "But really they suck at this."
"You're just too good." Hachiman scoffed.
"We. We're just too good." She corrected him.
Such was the usual day to day interaction between Ryuuju Momo, Yakuza Princess, and her most loyal chaperone, Hikigaya Hachiman!
"I'm not your chaperone!"
-or so he would like to say, while effectively being one!
"You're done, Momo-san! Onii-chan!"
Komachi waved her hand happily as Hachiman, Momo, and other members of the Astronomy Club came back from the woods after they had finished their activities.
Which was, of course, unrelated to the club's name!
"You should have joined us, Komachi." Momo pouted.
"No way! I've never been the sporty type like Onii-chan is." Komachi dismissively replied.
"This guy? Sporty? Pffft, he was super spineless when we met for the first time."
"My spine has nothing to do with my muscles." Hachiman bopped her head with the stock of his rifle gently, this made Momo glare at him but she didn't do anything else.
Hachiman had always been pretty athletic from the start, that much, Momo knew. That was how Hachiman could master parkour in such a short amount of time.
It was true, however, that meeting Momo gave Hachiman an unprecedented amount of confidence and poise for a young man. Momo was always mad when he talked back, but she was even more angry with someone who couldn't even do that much when she did something out of line.
She gave him the courage to speak out a lot more. This coincided well with Hachiman joining the student council with Shirogane as the President.
Komachi was really thankful for Momo about that, and that was why she was really happy seeing them like this.
やはり, 彼らが望む告白は間違っている.
As expected, the Confession they want is wrong
Original Story by: Watari Wataru and Akasaka Aka
Written by: ZeroXSEED, Co-Writer/Editor: GoukaRyuu
Chapter 14 - Momo wants to take back...
But it wasn't as if it was a one-sided sentiment.
In the span of a bit over six months, Hachiman became a chain that kept Momo in control of herself. Thanks to that, Momo also become a bit more sociable than before, and she appeared to be less outrageously scary compared to how she was in the past.
The old her had been completely friendless.
Forming a club was one thing, but hanging out with them casually like this... Momo could have hardly imagined it.
Hachiman and Momo went back to their assigned rooms for a change of clothes. They ended up leaving their rooms and entered the bath section at the same time.
"...why are you entering now?" Hachiman asked.
"What, you getting embarrassed now?" Momo sneered, she shamelessly stripped herself and revealed that underneath her black bodysuit, she was wearing an extremely inelegant sports bra and shorts.
Hachiman wasn't entirely sure if he should feel surprised or disappointed. This wasn't even the first time this kind of thing had happened between them either.
Not that he was completely immune per se, but Momo had always been an audacious person like that, and Hachiman couldn't help being unsettled by her acts sometimes. Arousal? Pffft.
Momo even made sure that she, Hachiman, and Komachi had their own cabin to sleep in, separate from the others. And Hachiman hadn't even been informed about it! She wasn't even trying to be seductive about it, so it was easier for Hachiman to just try acting like he was sharing a bathroom with Shirogane. Better for his peace of mind that way.
Indeed, any chance for lewd thoughts to creep into his mind immediately washed away as he felt the sensation of cold water blasting his face!
"You fucking bitch!" Hachiman threw a slipper, that he had pulled out of god-knows-where, as retaliation.
Meanwhile, outside, the other students were conflicted. Both the boys and girls wanted to eavesdrop, but were afraid Momo would kill them if they did!
"Komachi-chan, is it alright to leave them alone?" The advisor asked in fear, he almost puked blood because he was really, really concerned!
"I guarantee you 100% nothing will happen, Sensei. Please don't be worried. My Onii-chan is a certified, pure-minded gentleman."
Of course, that was a lie! Komachi knew that Hachiman had always been as healthy as other boys in the libido department, but she was unwilling to make everyone worry.
Now, if only he could be a little less dense and uptight about it...
She was more worried about what Ryuju would do to him. Everyone else was thinking the same. But, they were too afraid of saying it and pretended they had heard nothing, leaving in the end.
After several pranks were exchanged, and they had washed their sweat off with soap and shampoo, Hachiman and Momo ended up sharing the tub together to relax.
"We're not doing the stargazing today, right?" Hachiman asked.
"Yeah, everyone must be really tired after that survival game." Momo made a cat-like smile, she truly enjoyed the relief the hot water was providing her aching muscles. "Not to mention we just arrived here before that."
It took roughly three hours for the trip from Tokyo to Gunma.
"Growing soft on them huh, Club President?" Hachiman teased.
"Shut up, I'm just being considerate, asshole!" She splashed him with water, red-faced.
Truthfully, Momo probably was trying to be more considerate, to him most of all, because, unlike the other students who had riden in cars with assigned drivers, Hachiman was actually driving a motorcycle that Momo and Komachi had also ridden in as passengers.
Of all the students, Hachiman needed to rest the most, but he would never show it out of pride. Momo was sure that every girl that was close to him had their own way to make him settle down and take things easy. Fujiwara Chika was no exception to this.
...
And Momo was right to be concerned. Because as soon as Hachiman finished bathing, he retreated instead of socializing.
Momo found him studying in his room in the cabin with reading glasses perched on his nose, earphones jammed in blocking any noise.
Hachiman was reading the textbook for the second-years in advance while matching the content with his first-year textbooks.
"That guy is studying even at a time like this?" Momo sighed.
Not that Momo didn't understand his plight. Hachiman was smart, but hardly a genius. To achieve his current grades there was no way he didn't study hard.
Hachiman hadn't said anything, probably because he didn't want to ruin the mood. After all, they were in the middle of Spring vacation.
It wasn't what Momo had expected, at least when she overheard a conversation like this:
"Komachi-chan, where's your brother?"
"Eh? He's probably playing a game alone or sleeping." Komachi smiled innocently, "He's never been that especially social a guy after all, so please forgive him!"
This girl lied as naturally as she breathed, she remarked to herself. Not that Momo hated her or anything. The Hikigaya siblings really were an enigma. They resembled each other, yet were also the stark opposite of each other.
They strongly loved and cared for each other, and would go to great lengths to protect each other with their own methods. Sometimes, Momo felt a little envious.
"Momo-san, did you find him?"
"As you said, he's in the cabin already." Momo sighed.
"Hehe, you look really worried."
"I just hope he's not as stupid as Shirogane. That guy is simply beyond help." Momo told Komachi, referring to Shirogane's almost compulsive disorders when it come to his obsession with studying. "I'm not even sure what you see in that loser, to be honest."
"Fufufufu, it's all about perception, Momo-san." Komachi winked, "If you're so concerned, then maybe you can keep watching over Onii-chan for me?"
Momo blinked, confused. "Hmm? Sure I will."
"I don't mean that." Komachi smiled and handed Momo a serving tray with a plate of curry rice on it and a pair of cups, filled with black coffee and jasmine tea respectively. "He's not going to be here for dinner, unless you drag him out. And you don't want to drag him out, do you?"
This little smart-ass. Momo's lips twitched. Can't really argue against Komachi, huh?
"Fine then, if you're asking so nicely." Momo sighed, smiling in defeat, "I'm going to kick his ass later."
Komachi raised two peace signs, "Good luck, Momo-san."
What did she even mean by that? 'Good luck?'
And so, Momo returned to the cabin with the serving tray in hand. "Hey asshole, why didn't you come for dinner?"
"Ah." Hachiman pulled out his earbuds and looked at Momo, then his phone. "Sorry, I didn't help with the cooking."
Hachiman quickly got the books away from the table so there would be enough room to eat.
"Doesn't matter, we have actual cooks with us." Momo snorted, "But what's that, you trying to get a head start for after vacation?"
"Yeah, by crosschecking with the previous lessons and textbook I can get a glimpse of the second-year subjects and thus will not go in completely blind," Hachiman said.
And so they talked about what Hachiman had read while they ate and finished their dinners.
"Hey, Hachiman, don't you feel worried at all?" Momo suddenly asked, "About the guy who was stalking us before?"
"You had him investigated thoroughly, right?" Hachiman asked back, "And the result were all bunk."
"With my position and activities in Suchiin, I'm not shocked at all." Hachiman rolled his eyes aside, "Not everyone is content with me or Miyuki."
Shirogane Miyuki especially. It was quite an understatement to consider the riot he caused during last year's General Student Assembly when he announced his intent to become a Presidential candidate!
Up to that point, it was Miyuki who held the position of General Affairs. The VIPs had grown to accept, perhaps even like Hachiman for his twisted honesty and sense of fair play!
However, the same could not be said for other students.
"I know, but still, it's the first time that's happened," Momo told him in concern, "Did something odd happened recently?"
Hachiman has been reminded about two unusual things actually.
"I could think of a few." Hachiman said casually, "A lot of weird things have happened at the end of the year because it was quite hectic. Komachi's arrival at Shuchiin was one of them."
Momo flinched a bit, because she was still ashamed of that.
"My bad."
"It's not a big deal."
"No, it's not just about Komachi." Momo said, "It's not just about you or her, you hanging out with me also caused problems with your dad, didn't it?"
Hachiman blinked, "Where does that even come from?"
"The idol industry is cleaning up because they want to go international and distance themselves away from the yakuza as a result. It's something that we in the Ryuju group are aware of." Momo muttered, "I'm well aware that you also help at your dad's job sometimes. But because of your ties to the Ryuju group, you could never truly work in the idol industry if you ever wanted to."
Not all idols came from poor or middle-class families, some of them also came from extremely high-class families as well. And a few of them even attended Shuchiin, assuming they could keep their grades good enough not to flunk out.
Several times Hachiman had used his motorbike to deliver them to work, be it their office, a studio, or a concert hall. Because, unlike cars, motorbikes weren't hindered badly by traffic jams, which were a frequent thing on Tokyo's roads.
"If Komachi becomes an idol, how else can you protect her?"
Hachiman was legitimately caught off guard.
So even Ryuju knew...
"There's no guarantee that Komachi will become an idol." Hachiman said evasively, "Besides, she wanted to go to an elite school as well. She prefers to focus more on her studies than training."
"But it's still one of her plans. No, it's YOUR plan. Plus, your dad probably had a hard time-"
"Father can go fuck himself." Hachiman cut her off.
Momo widened her eyes in shock.
"He didn't care about me until I decided to apply for Shuchiin's scholarship. What right does he have to dictate who I hang out with at this school?" Hachiman's eyes looked a bit tired and watery, "He's a famous Producer with no recent scandals attached to him. He'll be fine."
As a member of the Yakuza group, Momo had always been raised with familial and group loyalty in mind. Though her father could be cold and distant at times, Momo was well aware of how much he cared about her well being. Momo had always been a spoiled girl, no matter how cold she appeared to be.
A twisted and fragile sense of duty and love was something Momo had learned to live with, but, it seemed that the relationship between Hachiman and his own father was very complicated.
It was also very clear that Hachiman resented his father. Resented him a lot.
"I'm here because I wanted to be here." Hachiman removed his glasses and smiled, "So let's just have fun and be carefree."
Momo took a deep breath and then helped Hachiman to clean up the table from their meal and put it aside to make more room to sleep. They picked-up their Futon, unrolling them.
Then Momo lifted her skirt and pinched the sides of her panties, trying to pull them down. Hachiman reflexively grabbed her wrists to stop her.
"...Hold on, what are you doing?" Hachiman asked with a low tone.
"You said you wanted to have fun and be carefree, right?" She asked with a sultry voice. "Besides, don't pretend you're not interested." Then she pulled something out of her pocket.
A familiar box of condoms.
Hachiman quickly began to flop sweat.
"...Where did you get that?"
"Your room. You never told me you're also interested to do it." Momo grinned, her fangs seemingly growing a few millimeters longer as she pushed Hachiman onto his bed, literally straddling him as she did so. "Come on, I want to try too! Let's be youthful!"
Indeed!
Not just a box of condoms. Hachiman knew very well it was the exact same box of condoms that his mother had left him. Because she had misunderstood Hachiman and thought he had been in a sexual relationship with Hayasaka Ai!
"Not THAT youthful!" He smacked her hands away, clearly terrified.
"What's this? You're embarrassed now?" Momo laughed, "You think I'm joking, don't you?"
"I know you're serious because of course you're being serious about it, idiot." Hachiman said, "You were exactly like this when you said you wanted to create a club too!"
Momo froze for a moment, her strength draining away as those words echoed within her heart and mind.
That was true.
Last winter, before vacation, Momo confronted Miyuki and Hachiman and told them she was making an Astronomy Club and wanted to become the club's president.
Because of a certain ruling, you can't be a President of a club and member of the student council at the same time. So, she resigned from her position as Treasurer of the Student Council.
This also happened when Miyuki and Hachiman were visiting certain middle school students that they felt had the potential to become another member of the student council, the one who would be replacing Momo's position just hadn't officially enrolled in Shuchiin High yet.
It was true that Hachiman still spent a lot of time with her, but it just didn't feel the same without her around. Miyuki was fine, but Hachiman grieved about it for some time.
They didn't reconcile at least until the new year, when Momo came to Chiba to visit them.
"Why didn't you stop me then?" Momo bit her lip in response, smacking his chest in anger as well.
But her strength failed her, her hand and wrist shivered.
"Because that was the first time you truly opened yourself up to others. How could I stop you?"
Ah.
Right.
For the first time in Shuchiin, that was when Momo had wanted to try something new. Instead of narrowing her social circle to a select few people as before, she wanted to have a new group of people she could hang out with.
She wanted new friends.
However, the more she got involved with the club, the less time she spent with Hachiman. She felt lonely, and looking at the increasingly tight-knit student council, she probably felt jealous about it too.
She wanted to spend more time with him.
More.
It was just that being raised in an organized crime group also skewed Momo's common sense. If it took sex to tie him closer to her then Momo would do it with a smile and wouldn't regret it one bit.
Besides, she thought Hachiman barely saw her as a girl. So it wasn't a big deal, right?
But Hachiman didn't seem to think the same way.
"It's because I'm not like other girls, aren't I?" Momo looked away in shame. "If it was Fujiwara, surely you wouldn't reject her..."
"No. It wouldn't matter if it was Fujiwara or you." Hachiman looked at her intensely, not a trace of a lie could be found on his voice, "You should treasure yourself more and do something like this with a guy you really like."
Momo blinked.
Oh.
That.
At the end of the day, no matter how badly Hachiman talked or treated the girls around him, he truly considered them precious.
Momo wasn't an exception to that. If anything, because she was the closest girl to Hachiman it made sense that he held her the dearest. It might not be romantic, but Momo finally realized just how much their friendships meant to him. Otherwise, why would he be so angry about it?
"Spineless dipshit!" Momo finally regained her composure and headbutted him.
Hachiman rolled aside and curled up in pain.
"You probably won't get another chance! Are you fine with that, virgin?!" Momo kicked at him several times in anger and embarrassment, not very effective given she was still lying next to him.
"Don't care, I can get laid whenever I want to, you bitch!" Hachiman said in a muffled voice, seemingly in pain.
While not entirely unreasonable from the other's points of view, Hachiman himself thought of it as simple boasting. After all, no one would sleep with him unless they were THAT desperate for a man's company, right?
When Momo finally calmed down, Hachiman still remained on his futon, curled up in the fetal position. Momo felt a bit concerned and shook him.
"Oh come on, you're a big guy, you can take more than that!"
Then she noticed where Hachiman had put his hands, and Momo began to open her mouth in shock.
"...uh, you got hard?"
"...yes."
"B-because of me?"
Hachiman didn't reply, but it was very obvious he had. He was also completely beet red.
Momo became awkwardly quiet and began to blush a bit. She shifted her gaze left and right and focused all her senses to make sure there was no one around.
"Want me to help with that?"
Hachiman covered his face this time around, "Please don't. Just be quiet for five minutes."
Momo didn't say anything and curled up beside him, mimicking his pose in the opposite direction; confused.
Why did Hachiman have to make things so complicated? They might not be fully nude, but they had even taken a bath together this afternoon. Hell, they saw each other naked on accident and things like this had never happened before.
Was it because Momo was being seductive? Or was it something else?
Ryuju Momo simply couldn't wrap up her head around the idea that perceptions of gender or sex weren't just physical!
Because Momo only rarely ever put emphasis on her own femininity, her usual actions of thinking and behaving more in line with the typical ultra-masculine yakuza jocks... Hachiman always treated her like one of his guy friends as a result.
Occasionally, his defense mechanisms would waver whenever she dressed pretty. However, the way she talked and acted would quickly restore that perception!
When she stopped doing that, it was natural for Hachiman to react as any healthy, heterosexual high school boy would. If anything, the impact would be far more immense!
People often called such a contrast gap moe!
"Hey."
"What?"
"Resign from the Student Council and join my club," Momo told him.
"No way." Hachiman refused, "You should step down and rejoin the student council instead."
"Hell no. Not like you have a vacant position for me to fill." Momo huffed.
"General Affairs and Auditing Officer." Hachiman informed her, "We decided to expand the Student Council a bit and I became Public Relations instead. Possibly even adding Assistant Historian to that if needed."
The current Shuchiin student council was simply too small to handle the ever-expanding student body.
"I see."
They both uncurled their bodies and laid on their backs, looking at the ceiling, their shoulders touching. The tension lingering in the room had all but disappeared.
"I'll think about it later." Momo smiled, "Let's see what Komachi is up to."
In the end, Momo and Hachiman decided to keep quiet about what transpired and welcomed Komachi like nothing happened. Everyone ended up sleeping late because Komachi and Momo spent hours upon hours talking and Hachiman was too curious to stop listening. So he stayed awake and listened to the girls chatting with each other just like that.
The sun rose higher and higher before they knew, it was already late afternoon and everyone was already playing in the river near the camp.
"look at that, Hikigaya-san's body. No wonder it's impossible to beat him in Survival game."
Hachiman blinked.
He wasn't actually that muscular. He didn't have any defined abs at all. However, because he exercised and did parkour every day, Hachiman did have a well-toned and athletic body. That's why he's very fast and agile, even though he's not exceptionally strong for a boy of his age.
"That has nothing to do with anything. If you guys train every morning you'd be like this too." Hachiman scoffed.
He was very conscious of the fact that he was considered physically attractive. What he didn't know, or rather, what he refused to believe, was that some of the girls found his personality attractive too!
"No matter how much you flaunt that body, it's still useless if you have no use for it, Mr. Virgin!" Momo shouted, which made Hachiman flinch.
Momo approached with Komachi, but, whereas Komachi was dressed in a very cute -if a bit childish- swimsuit, Momo was wearing a tracksuit. Or at least the top half of it. It was strangely erotic. And Hachiman suppressed the urge to remember what transpired last night. Pitched tent is the last thing he wanted to have in public!
"Mph, someone who didn't even come in a swimsuit has no right to say anything." Hachiman scoffed.
Momo looked at Komachi, seemingly worried. Komachi just gave a cat smile in return.
"I still think it doesn't suit me-" Momo said, but Komachi cut her off.
"Nah, it suits you well, so please show us!"
Hachiman and the other boys' eyes grew increasingly larger when Momo began stripping off her tracksuit, slowly revealing what she wore underneath.
A very frilly-looking, light green and white swimsuit. Momo, just like Hachiman, had very athletic body as well. But rather than diminishing her charm, it enhanced her appeal. Especially since Momo have a very pronounced backside. The boys cannot help but drawn to her and feast on the sight!
"Look, a sports bra is one thing but this swimsuit just...argh!" Momo desperately covered her swimsuit. Seriously, what the heck was Komachi thinking?
She was probably less embarrassed about being naked than wearing this!
"I look really bad in it, right?" Momo asked Hachiman.
Hachiman bit his tongue before he could say something stupid and raised two thumbs in response. The other boys and even some girls had nosebleeds. The overwhelming gap moe, it was too much for them to handle!
"President is way too cute!" The other girls said with excitement and moved to approach her closer.
"Re-really?" Momo finally let go her awkwardness and then pointed, "If you guys dare to lie, you'll eat needles for the rest of your lives!"
"Naaahhh." The members nonchalantly replied.
"Alright then, let's play in the water too, Hachiman!" Momo cheerfully hooked her arms around him and pulled him into the river.
Sweet Buddha, please release me of this torment for I am just a mortal man with limited self-control. Hachiman prayed mentally, then looked at Komachi with a dreaded face.
Komachi made a 'Kira-Kira' peace gesture* and winked at him.
"My sister is the cutest little devil in the world," Hachiman said quietly as Momo kept dragging him, unwilling to let him go.
There's no way Hachiman can look at Momo the same way ever again.
...
The winner of today's Battle: Ryuuju Momo (and Hikigaya Komachi)!
* Also known as "I Love You" sign, with middle and ring fingers folded while the rest extended. Popularized to memetic status in Japan by fictional idol Ranka Lee (Macross Frontier, 2009)