"I always hate nice girls."
"Just greetings with them will get them on your mind."
"Start texting each other, and your heart will be set a flutter."
"If they call you, you're pretty much done for. Enjoy staring at your log, grinning like a fool. However, don't be fooled. That's what they call kindness. If you're nice to me, you're also nice to everyone else."
"End up with that kind of expectation, and you'll always end up with that misunderstanding."
"To a nice girl, you're not special. You're just like everyone."
- Hikigaya Hachiman
Ishigami Yuu thought Hachiman was being edgy. It was so bad that Miyuki still made fun of Hachiman occasionally. Of course, Miyuki gets punished with a barrage of snark that destroys his self-esteem, but that is beside the point.
Yuu always wondered. Is this why Hachiman could be so carefree even though he was surrounded by girls, each having varying degrees of romantic interest toward him?
Hayasaka-senpai was the most obvious and vocal about her interest in him. The cheerful gal girl was not shy and very outgoing. However, Hachiman refused to treat it seriously. He would vehemently reject her advances at every opportunity.
Though, in fairness, Yuu thought Hayasaka wasn't serious and committed enough. If Yuu was in Hachiman's position, he, too, would doubt the authenticity of Hayasaka Ai's feelings.
The second girl is Fujiwara Chika. Yuu didn't have an outstanding opinion of her as a senior figure because she's clumsy and self-centered, lies often, and always brings her problems to others. However, Chika is generally kind and never treats Yuu poorly unless he snarks at her, so Yuu doesn't hate her as a person.
Chika often flirts with Hachiman in varying degrees of intimacy, sometimes even physical. But she treated it casually, insisting that she and Hachiman were close friends and nothing more.
Outside the Student Council, there was the former treasurer, Ryuju Momo. Of the three, she is the closest emotionally to Hachiman. They're practically glued by the hip, like actual siblings.
Recently, however, their relationships have been turbulent. They've been on and off fighting. Everyone also noticed that not only did Momo become more feminine. But also generally gentler as a person. There was a strange tension and awkwardness between her and Hachiman that was missing before.
The three girls are ambiguous and suspicious in their own way. Looking at it from the outside perspective like this, Yuu can't blame Hachiman for denying that he had a harem of some sort.
"Are you, perhaps, retarded?" That was Hachiman's words to someone saying it out loud.
But looking at the weird scene before him, Yuu was convinced Hachiman had a point.
"As it turns out, Hachiman was not wrong. Not in the slightest." Miyuki ominously clasped his hands. "Not only Kashiwagi did not see you as a love interest, but Shijo Maki had been in love with you for a long time."
"Mikado-san, are you sure you only know about this recently?" Tsubasa anxiously asked the red-haired guy around the same table.
"I did have my suspicions, but I was as surprised as you are," Mikado explained. "I always thought she got a childhood crush on someone, but I never thought she kept the ember alive. So passionately at that."
"So, how do you plan to respond, Tanuma?" Miyuki asked.
"To be honest, I feel a bit touched." Tsubasa wryly said with a flushed face. "But I feel that if I just accept it thoughtlessly, I'd be a trash."
"Somehow, I honestly doubt she felt that way." Mikado expressed a horrified face. "After all, she confessed to you right the moment she knew you got rejected."
Miyuki's tense face was full of calculation, and he nodded. "I believe she did this because she wanted to rewrite Kashiwagi-san's presence in your heart."
Tsubasa slammed his face to the table. "I don't know what to think or feel anymore."
"Clever girl." Miyuki and Mikado both said.
By confessing to Tsubasa in his weakest state, Maki could slip inside the cracks in his heart and offer him a brief sense of relief. However, it was much harder for Tsubasa to brush her confession aside.
Wicked. But all is fair in love and war. It would be kind and considerate for Maki to wait until Tsubasa sorted his feelings. But it would be stupid on her part. Sometimes, you need to be selfish to win.
"Are? So many boys here. What a surprise. Why are you here instead of going to the office?"
Chika was surprised to see new faces on the Student Council's lower floor. The building's first floor is generally unused. But there was barely anything except the simplest form of furniture there.
"We figured it was a bit impolite to use the office for gossip," Mikado politely said. "Ah, by the way, have we not gotten acquainted? I'm sure we're in the same class."
"My name is Fujiwara Chika!" Chika offered a brief handshake. "Nice to know you, Shijo-san. You're Shijo Maki-san's twin brother, right?"
"Yes. And I presume you're the daughter of Minister Fujiwara Daichi."
"That is correct." Chika nodded. "What are you gossipping about, anyway?"
"So, anyway..." Miyuki hesitated to drag her in, fearing the potential chaos. "Tanuma, do you mind sharing? It's fine to keep it between the boys."
"Ehh? Why have I always been the one excluded? Kaguya-san disappeared after we got our lunch yesterday!" Chika whined.
Yuu could not say he was envious. He prefers not to get dragged into things. So he decided to leave.
Only for Chika to yank his collar and force him to sit down. "No. You stay, too."
This is why he doesn't respect her as his senior. Chika is way too spontaneous and self-centered.
"To be honest, I'm fine," Tsubasa told Chika. "So anyway, Maki-san confessed to me yesterday."
"Woah! Really? Congratulations!"
"Hold on. Tanuma hadn't really decided what to do with it." Miyuki stopped her, thinking she misunderstood. But she flicked his forehead instead.
"Tsk. Miyuki-kun sure has no sense of romance in your mind." Chika chided. "No matter the response, a confession is a precious gift to accept."
"Right. I agree with that." Miyuki calmed down. "That's why we're thinking about it seriously now."
"Is that the case? Then let me help with it." Chika said. "Let us all move to the second floor. There is way too little privacy here. And we can have some tea while at it!"
Yuu was surprised to see Chika being so considerate... until he saw her disgustingly perverted face. Clearly, she was thirsty for gossip. And would, therefore, make herself comfortable listening.
"Women." He thought.
Well, Ishigami Yuu just wanted to play games in peace. So going upstairs would be helpful. And so, the boys began to tell Chika the story from the beginning, which took a while.
Yuu, already knowing the story, played his portable console on mute.
"I see." Chika nodded as she wore her favorite detective hat and cape (which Miyuki didn't know where she stored). "Objectively speaking, Hikigaya-san was dead-on about his analysis. As expected of him."
"Right?" Miyuki said sorrowfully. "If only I was so overconfident."
It was rare for Miyuki to show his moment of weakness like this. Even Chika was taken aback. He must have felt super guilty about it.
"Well, I can safely say overconfidence had bit me back so many times, so I could relate." Chika winced. "But here is the thing, do you think love is ever rational?"
"Hmmm..." The boys scrunched up their faces. They were seriously thinking.
"Is it not normal for someone to fall in love with another because of something," Miyuki argued. "Physical appeal, wealth, power, personality."
"There is always a logical reason for someone to fall in love," Mikado argued.
"Right. After all, I fell in love with Kashiwagi-san because she's kind and cute. Is it wrong for me to feel that way?" Tsubasa asked.
"Of course, it isn't." Chika crossed her wrists. "There's no such thing as the wrong kind of love. So, let us flip the scenario: what if someone had something you dislike more than what you like about them? Can you confidently say you won't fall for them? And if you fall for them, would it be rational?"
"Uhhh..."
The boys were a bit hesitant.
Yuu could arrogantly say he would fall out of love quickly. But he never fell in love, so he could never be sure. But he knew love changes how a person sees and perceives things.
"The answer is you can't." Chika slammed the table. "Love is a feeling of attraction that transcends transactionality. This is not something a monster of logic like Hikigaya-san can understand."
"No. I say Hikigaya-san understands this and is unwilling to admit it." Chika corrected herself. "Have you ever heard how he talks about Yukinoshita-san, yet how he acted around her?"
"Hachiman isn't someone who lies often, so he always says what he thinks. He talks so much shit about Yukinoshita, believe me." Miyuki rubbed his chin in understanding. "But for someone who loathed her so much, he sure is comfortable being around her."
Chika smugly grinned. "That's what love is. To like someone no matter how many things you dislike about a person."
Yuu did not miss the slight pain on Chika's face. It was just a split-second moment, but he did notice.
"Love and friendships go hand in hand. The point is, you can't really predict love based on mathematics." Chika concluded. "Just because you know that liking someone will be painful does not mean you can stop liking them."
"You're right." Tsubasa sighed. "Even right now, even after being rejected and knowing she likes someone else, I still like Kashiwagi-san."
"But can you say honestly you can reject Maki-san right away?"
"No." Tsubasa shook his head and was about to cry. "I am the worst."
"Hardly. You're just being too considerate of others, Tanuma-kun." Chika patted him. "To be a man who can stand proudly, you need to be more selfish."
"So here is my suggestion on how to respond to Maki-san." Chika proposed. "First, you tell her to give you some time to move on and think about her feelings. Maki-san liked you for so many years. Her feelings won't fade easily. She can and will wait for your answer."
"Secondly, you start dating her with a condition. If you could not move on and start liking her, you should quickly break up." Chika said.
"How could you say that?" Tsubasa asked in disbelief.
"Many might call you a jerk for it, but Maki-san openly offered herself as a rebound. She, too, will accept it."
Miyuki noticed the shift in Mikado's mood. No matter how distant they are, would Mikado accept it? Miyuki felt unsettled that Chika, of all people, could propose such a cruel idea.
But it wasn't like what Chika said was wrong. In fact, many people do just that. Relationships form and break within a two or three-week period. 'Normal' people all do it that way.
This group of dateless virgins aren't the 'normal' ones.
"It all comes to your intention," Chika said. "No lies, no pretense. If you truly care about Maki-san's feelings, answer it honestly. Even if it hurts either of you, no one gets betrayed."
"That is right." Mikado suddenly lost his smile. "I believe you can treat her well, Tsubasa-kun. I don't mind if you accept her like this, even if I prefer you to think about it first."
"Mikado-san..." Tsubasa was touched. "Thank you."
"But if you do nasty things with her before you feel settled properly, I will have you castrated and deported." Mikado grinned.
"..." Everyone was deathly silent.
"Isn't that a bit much?" Miyuki winced and tried to mediate. "Surely someone as kind as Tanuma would not..."
Besides, he's spineless. What would he do? Force her?
"You don't understand. It is my sister that I don't trust." Mikado was panicking. "Baby trap is absolutely on the table. Besides, do you know this guy's family's history?"
"What?" Tsubasa blinked.
"Your grandfather had your father at seventeen. Your father had you at seventeen." Mikado pointed. "The third time is the charm, so I WILL have you warned in advance."
Tsubasa was quiet as he tried to process everything.
"... You're right." Tsubasa looked so dead inside. "I... I will do my best to resist."
Mikado shivered. "My sister is a bit weird, so think about how you answer her feelings."
"Noted."
"Just in case, anyway, get as much protection as possible." Miyuki handed Tsubasa a box.
"..." Tsubasa froze.
"IS THAT A BOX OF CONDOMS?!" Ishigami jolted.
"AHH!" Chika, Mikado, and Tsubasa all freaked out. "WHERE DID YOU GET THAT FROM?!"
"Please be calm, this is not mine. Ryuju put it here for whatever reason. Not sure where she got it and why, but I'm too embarrassed to dispose of it or take it out." Miyuki scratched his head. "So I had it hidden in the cupboard."
"Ish, Momo-san sure can be unpredictable." Chika was so disgusted she kept poking the box with her trusty paper fan. "I don't know if the box can be this big."
"Well, they usually sell it in small retail packs of 3, 5, or 12." Ishigami bluntly pointed. "They're in plain sight but embarrassing to look at. I have never seen such a bulky pack in my life."
"Then Tanuma can have it. Just in case." Miyuki shrugged.
]やはり, 彼らが望む告白は間違っている. S2
As expected, the Confession they want is wrong S2
Original Story by: Watari Wataru and Akasaka Aka
Written by: ZeroXSEED, Co-written by: GoukaRyuu
Chapter 33 - The boys wanted to be loved, part 2
And so, the boys went to their business and scattered, leaving Miyuki, Yuu, and Miyuki in the office. However, Miyuki decided that he probably had to do contingency work for once in Hachiman's place and keep the school peaceful.
Then Iino Miko came and joined.
"Fujiwara-senpai, I'm kind of amazed." Yuu suddenly said as they compiled the documents together. "You're quite insightful when it comes to romance."
"Am I? Happy to hear that from Ishigami-kun, of all people."
What do you mean 'of all people'?
"But really, thanks for the compliment."
"Likewise."
"I think it is normal for someone to be observant like that." Chika closed her eyes. "When you get obsessed, you have tunnel vision and can't see the big picture."
"When you get obsessed... you have a tunnel vision." Miko repeated, thoughtful.
"Because I am not emotionally involved, I could judge the situation objectively. If I have an emotional investment in this argument, I might not be as reliable as you see me today."
Hmmm.
"What about you, Ishigami-kun? Do you have love troubles? Let this Onee-san solve it for you." Chika patted her chest proudly.
Ishigami can't say he had love trouble. But he was thinking about things that happened since his enrollment here. That nagging, weird feeling from someone she recently became close with.
"Do you think Hikigaya-senpai was right about his prejudice against nice girls?"
When asked about that, Chika physically paused.
"What was that about prejudice?" Miko curiously asked.
"He said that if nice girls are kind to you, they're kind to everyone else. So you're not special and never take their kindness the wrong way." Yuu explained. "Don't fall in love just because someone is nice to you."
"Why? Do you agree with him?" Miko asked.
"I don't know," Yuu told her. "To be honest, part of me agreed, and part of me disagreed."
"I see." Chika laughed. "Then we have the same opinion."
"Really?"
"When Hikigaya-san said that if a girl is nice to him, she is nice to everyone else, that's true. Think about his abrasive temperament. Do you think anyone would treat him nicely without natural friendliness?"
Woah, she really roasted him.
"Well, you're not wrong." Miko winced.
"Indeed." Yuu nodded.
"I believe he is right about this part. But here is the thing." Chika wiggled her finger. "Do you think a nice girl will treat the person she liked just like she did everyone else?"
"I don't think so." Yuu postulated. "I don't know how she would treat that person, but if she wanted to show affection, she would do things differently."
"If it's me, I'll try to be nicer to him, but..." Miko blushed. "I don't know, maybe I'll be too embarrassed."
Miko didn't want to admit it, but she could imagine being harsher on a boy she liked.
"Bingo." Chika raised two thumbs. "No matter what, the special person is special to her. Although it takes effort and willpower to show your affection, it's natural to show that person is different from others."
"In this sense, Hikigaya-san is completely wrong about his deduction whenever it involves himself. Komachi-chan, his little sister, said he would never notice unless you said it to his face."
"That makes sense." Miko and Yuu nodded.
"Oh well," Chika said. "I'm off to the tabletop club."
When the two are left to their devices, a strange, awkward quietness forms between Yuu and Miko. Most of their early relationships had been turbulent due to Yuu's rebellious behavior and her anally strict enforcement.
Yuu had since reformed and only did what he wanted in the student council office. This annoyed Miko, but they had an agreement.
"Hey." Miko suddenly approached him as Yuu was playing on his portable console.
Uh, oh. Yuu though.
"Do you think Fujiwara-senpai..."
"She likes Hikigaya-senpai." Yuu helpfully finished for her as he resumed playing. "Romantically."
"Figures. Since when do you realize it?" Miko sat beside him.
"Just now," Yuu said. "I had my suspicion, but think how Fujiwara-senpai reframes everything with her words."
"She said something about objectivity because she wasn't emotionally involved," Miko recalled. "Does this not refer to Hikigaya-senpai as well?"
"Indeed it was," Yuu nodded.
"Because Hikigaya-senpai is prejudiced, he was unable to distinguish how different her actions toward him. Compared to everyone else." Miko concluded. "Hikigaya-senpai wasn't able to recognize that she liked him because they were emotionally close."
"True, but was it just prejudice or..." Yuu finished playing and shut down his game. "He might have a traumatic experience involving nice girls."
"Ah."
Miko honestly could tell. Hachiman never saw her as a potential love interest. That's why he was always openly kind to her. Instead, despite being close to Chika and Momo, he was always guarded. And don't forget his reaction to Hayasaka Ai's open approach.
"Although Hikigaya-senpai is willing to be friends with any girls, he completely shut his heart to the idea of dating." Miko widened her eyes. "Because he's afraid to open his heart again, lest he get hurt."
"Right." Yuu thought he understood how Hachiman could be so composed in front of girls, something Yuu struggled with a lot.
"Are you rooting for her?" Miko huffed. "I'm sure I will be."
"Why?"
"Because the two other suitors are much worse." Miko blew up. "Hayasaka-senpai is so clingy and shameless. This makes for a bad example for the other students! And Ryuju-senpai is an actual delinquent! Can you imagine what disaster would happen if they start dating?"
Oh yes, of course. Why would Ishigami Yuu guess differently? Miko always idolizes Fujiwara Chika. Though Chika was not without her flaws, in Miko's eyes, she was still the best out of the three.
"So?" Miko loomed over him and questioningly glared.
"Eh," Yuu shrugged. "I have no strong opinion in one way or another."
Miko chided. But at the same time, her face softened. Both of them had been the victim of malicious gossip, so they were apprehensive about gossiping about people close to them.
"Fair enough." She sighed. "What about you? Something is bugging you lately?"
"Our classmates have been a little nicer to me, and the weird thing is, that actually made me uncomfortable." Yuu sighed. "Even though I always wanted this to happen."
"That's the power of reputation." Miko grinned. "Not only have you been absolved because Ogino apologized, but you've never done anything bad since you entered Shuchiin. Plus, you have been helping us in the Disciplinary Committee. Some people will look at you in a better light."
"In a way, can you find a better way to do an image change?" Miko looked at him and smiled brightly. "If you keep this up, I would never have to scold you anymore."
Ah, human minds really are fickle. But Iino Miko was not wrong. Although Yuu's reason for helping the Disciplinary Committee was to ensure Miko didn't go too far.
(And he wanted to disturb all the lovey-dovey couples at school out of jealousy. So it wasn't exactly a noble intention on his part.)
But still, action speaks louder than words. Even Miko is becoming nicer. That's a proof. Yuu don't think his personality has changed in the slightest, yet people's behavior toward him has changed.
That's also how Yuu viewed the people around him. The moment they showed him a different side of themselves, the more it surprised Yuu.
He should have not. Humans aren't flat-faced creatures. Even the most one-dimensional person had nuances. Yuu was chained by the action of his past into a monotonous prison imposed on him, and the Student Council was the one that freed him.
"Thanks." Ishigami Yuu, for the first time in front of her, earnestly smiled back.
Miko blushed a bit and coughed. "Nevertheless, it is annoying for me to see you being such a slob in the Student Council just because it's technically outside school jurisdiction, so I'll leave."
As Miko went outside, she slapped her own face. It's weird to realize it now, but hasn't Ishigami Yuu always been handsome? In fact, he might very well be one of the most gorgeous boys in the first year.
But since he always hunched and didn't take care care of his appearance, no one could see it.
"Oh, come on, you're in high school and still weak to superficial things." Miko huffed. "There is more to a person than just their looks."
Miko is still waiting for her fated white prince.
Elsewhere...
Hayasaka's phone rang, and she excused herself to answer it.
"Mother? It's rare for you to call this early." Hayasaka answered with unbridled happiness.
"[Please don't be surprised, but... is Hikigaya-kun with you right now]?"
"No? I haven't seen him all day since lunchtime, actually."
"[Figures, please don't be too shocked. Actually, Hikigaya-kun's father was...]"
In the Tabletop Game Club room, Chika dropped her phone with a horrified face.
Meanwhile, Momo stood up so quickly that her chair toppled. Her face was furious, and it terrorized the rest of the Stargazing Club members.
"Hikigaya-kun's father was stabbed." Their collective parents told the kids. "And was sent to ER two hours ago."