The title comes from the Ten Duel Commandments, from Hamilton.

Eating is a rather interesting part of life. More often than not, it's thought about as a commodity. Something to choose for the enjoyment, to go through one of the most ingrained rituals that humanity created. After all, eating together is widely acknowledged as one of the most wholesome and fulfilling moments in people's lives. See someone eating out alone, and people will often feel sad for them. See someone buying a cake, or something clearly meant to be shared, and people will feel their spirits lifted even a bit. Thinking that the random stranger they saw on the street has people to go back to. It's nothing strange, given that humans are social creatures, and it's the way that society has coiled around the idea of sharing and fulfilling people's needs that makes it so special.

Case in point, when the pizza arrived, even Saitou's promise of arriving later seemed like a distant worry. At least while chewing and seeing people sitting around, adding stuff to their slices, and ignoring the fact that Komachi still had a red spot on her face thanks to sitting beside her brother. But Hachiman couldn't just ignore the calming properties of filling his stomach while people chatted around him, giving him some respite as the promise of new problems hung over his head.

"I see, I see…"

"And it's not like I don't get it. But boys really don't understand how much being in an idol group, not any band or team, makes public perception shift…" Even the dumb girl that attacked Komachi seemed to relax, talking non-stop when she realized that Zaimokuza would give her his undivided attention. More talking at him than to him, but the guy with glasses didn't seem to mind. Which was kind of annoying, but Hachiman didn't want to think too deeply about it or his anger would return in full force.

"She's paying her share, right?" Miura couldn't help asking, sitting on the opposite side of the table and looking at the exchange with suspicion in her eyes.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" The idol interrupted herself to glare at Miura. "Didn't think you'd invite me anything."

"I thought you'd want to save the spare change you still have." The blonde returned her gaze to her food. "Y'know, in case you get booted today and stuff."

"I have my savings, girlie. I could've fed all of you if I wanted."

"Oh, so you're not completely stupid." Miura didn't even give the idol the benefit of changing her expression.

"It is precisely because of my intelligence that I came here." The idol glared even harder at the blonde.

"Yeah, we can tell." Miura replied, unimpressed.

"You…!"

"Can we not do this while eating?" Hiratsuka had retreated and chose only to observe, staying quiet while deep in her own thoughts. Glancing at Hachiman from time to time to check on him.

"Sorry…" The brunette at least looked apologetic enough to look away before continuing to eat.

"I'm not that hungry anyway." Miura scoffed.

"Sorry. You were saying?" Zaimokuza returned his gaze to the idol, eating more slowly than he usually would. Which was a little funny, at least. But Hachiman still tried to put it out of his mind.

"It's fine, I'm used to it by now." The brunette smiled bitterly. "It's always like that, if it's not about Ai, it's not important. I get that."

Hiratsuka's eyes narrowed, and Komachi turned to look at her brother. He, in turn, gave the younger girl an equally concerned look as her own. This was one of the reasons he'd kept quiet thus far, letting Zaimokuza keep the girl entertained: The picture he was getting in his head by her, clearly distorted, view of things did help him put into context of the situation that tainted every single problem he had had since het met Hoshino at the hospital.

It was almost funny, really. He'd thought he went through his fair share of miscommunication in his teen years. But, damn. These idols sounded like they'd have their heads explode if they heard about the concept of positive criticism. Or, well, an assertive approach to their problems.

Like, okay. Hachiman isn't the right person to talk, but damn.

Still…

"What is it?" Hachiman looked at Miura, who'd returned to ignore the girl talking and instead stared at Hachiman like she was looking through the glass in a zoo. Or perhaps a tank in an aquarium, looking with curiosity at the thing that was happening on the other side.

"You'd usually have said something by now."

"I don't have anything to say to her." Hachiman resumed eating; a bit bothered by the way the blonde looked at him. "I'll save my energy for Saitou-san."

"Right, right." Miura scoffed. "It's just that it feels like you're all bark and no bite nowadays."

"Weren't you one of the people trying to stop me from getting to that chick before the food came?"

"Well, yeah. But that concerns your sister. So it doesn't count." Miura shrugged. "Feels like ages since you said something outrageous to make someone feel bad."

"Hello? 16 years-old Hachiman called; said you're looking at the past so much you'll end up inventing time travel."

"Oh, shut up. It's not like that at all." The blonde shook her head and went back to eating.

"Rather, I'm surprised you're still here."

"I'm trying to eat."

"No, I mean. It might get messy. Although you were here, it doesn't really have to do with you." Hachiman took another bite of his slice, looking at all of the girls after saying his piece.

"I honestly do wanna leave." Ebina clicked her tongue. "It's not like our presence would make a difference. Rather, it feels like it'd make things worse."

"It's not like I can leave my own house." Hiratsuka shrugged. "But you might be onto something. This girl was already stressed out, can't imagine how the adults behind her would be."

"I'm… I'm an adult already." The idol complained weakly.

"Sure thing, sweetheart. Of course you are." Hiratsuka smiled with some fondness. "Finish eating though."

"Maybe we can add some pressure?" Miura suggested.

"Is that a good idea? What if they put the weight of the whole company behind messing with us?" Ebina cringed.

"Would that happen? Like, actually?" Komachi scoffed at the idea. Chiming in now that matters were a little more on the line she'd wanted to discuss since the beginning.

"Eh… Yumi-chan?"

"Sports and showbiz are, like, completely different. It's a whole new league, on top of that."

"You're also not fooling with president Saitou." The idol chimed in again. "Give it up, you won't make a strategy that trumps over their devotion to Ai-chan."

"What strategy?" Ebina tilted her head. "We're discussing if we should stay for the mess or not."

"It's not like I can't see myself taking some advantage of the blunder." Miura pointed out. "But a local athlete getting enrolled with national idols would be really weird. Probably bad publicity for both parties."

"I just want you people out of my life." Hachiman glared at her.

"And compensation for damaged goods." Komachi added. "I lost my manga because of you, and we could stand to replace that old coffee machine…"

"Asking for some money should be possible…" Hiratsuka scratched her chin. "If nothing else, just to put things in order. Maybe they'd feel safer knowing that they can "bribe" you? I don't know. Sorry, I can't really help beyond being here with you."

"That's fine, it's not like I know someone that might help on that front." Hachiman shrugged.

"Well…"

"We don't, Hiratsuka-san." Hachiman insisted.

"Right." Hiratsuka scoffed, looking away with some resentment on her face. Although it didn't feel like it was aimed at Hachiman himself.

"Ok, so… Can I bail? After finishing my portion, of course." Ebina looked at everyone on the table, waiting for their opinion. "Just so I'm not in the way of things."

"I… Don't really know." Hachiman sighed. "It's not like I've had to deal with these things before."

"It is a problem they'd want to keep under wraps…" Miura crossed her arms. "And I don't think they're in a position to demand things from Hikio anyway…"

"Joking aside, if the worst-case scenario happens…" Hiratsuka stretched her arms, seemingly trying to act casual. "You guys being unknowns might be for the best, if only so that you can buy us time to pull the rug from under them."

Hachiman gave the idol a side glance, noticing how she tensed up at Hiratsuka's words.

It was a bit of a heavy weight, but he sighed it out and regarded the whole table.

"Finish eating and pack." He didn't leave room for complaints. This situation would just keep getting discussed over and over until the time ran out, and he really didn't want to deal with all of them at the same time. "If nothing else, call my mom if I don't report back or something."

He couldn't really tell them "go to the police, try to get to the cameras from where the idol had been following Komachi" in front of the brunette, but the people around him weren't stupid. So much so that they were seriously considering sticking around or not to save themselves from the incoming trouble.

"Roger that." Ebina nodded with a complicit smile, going back to digging in with renewed vigor. Miura also looked like she had some idea of what should happen, so she nodded in a more absentminded way.

"I…" Zaimokuza caught Hachiman's attention with the deepness of his voice. "I'll stay here a bit longer, if that's alright."

"Why?" He narrowed his eyes, preparing to hear something that'd make him mad.

"You're angry." Zaimokuza stated like that explained everything.

"Yeah, of course I am." Hachiman didn't understand though, which actually kind of annoyed him. "So?"

"So… I want to listen to Nino-chan." Zaimokuza gave him a serene look. There was neither embarrassment nor excitement in his face. Only a sense of having made up his mind and going through with what he felt was right. "When you're angry, when you're not here… Who'll listen to the other side of the story? If it's not Hachiman, then who'll give the person hurting in front of us a chance?"

"You're confusing me for Saika." Seriously. That absolute angel, too good for this world. Too pure. Ah… If people understood the greatness of Saika, truly, this world would be a better place.

"Right." Zaimokuza scoffed. "So… I'll stay back for a bit longer."

Hiratsuka had a bit of a smile on her face.

"Sure, be my guest."

Guess that settles it, then. Hachiman continued to eat, blocking out the noise and concentrating on his little sister.

They didn't appear until the sun had finished setting. Like a bad omen, the doorbell rang when both the Hikigaya siblings and the idol had grown bored of waiting around.

She'd stayed put, for the most part due to being called directly by Saitou, and for the other because… Well, she needed to rest because of all the hits she got. They'd started aching for real, so she got to the couch and napped while Hachiman tried to keep studying a little bit. At least she was able to, after ranting to Zaimokuza for a couple of hours before he departed. It did feel like the guy carried a sadness way deeper than just seeing one of his idols being mean to someone else. It was just about the "spell" being broken. But something else entirely.

Things to mull over later, with him. For now, he wanted to concentrate on the matter at hand. And if the idol was sore enough to need to rest a bit, then Hachiman surely wouldn't forget why he'd stay behind until this point.

"Thanks for receiving… Oh, jeez." Saitou entered the room and flinched upon setting her gaze on Hachiman, almost walking back until she stumbled onto Hiratsuka from the surprise. "You look like you're about to murder me."

"…"

"Miyako-san…" The brunette sat up, looking as nervous as she had before they all ate together. Not even daring to look at the woman's face for more than a couple of seconds while fiddling with her fingers. "I…"

"Shut up." The woman hissed, letting herself in properly this time. "Not… Not now."

Hachiman lifted his eyebrows. For one, he hadn't seen her be this mean to anyone but him before. And, for another point, she looked about ready to cry herself.

Then, as suddenly as she'd flinched, she lowered her head. So much so that Hachiman could see her back from his sitting position. Her posture and execution were so perfect that Hachiman could've imagined her being a professional at apologizing. Her 90 degrees posture was so flawless that even Pitagoras himself would've felt moved if he was alive to see this woman lowering her head.

"I am terribly sorry for the trouble. I know just saying it won't fix anything, but I hope my sincerity can get through you all the same."

"Ugh…" Hachiman couldn't help feeling awkward by the display, so he looked away to the place where Hiratsuka should've been standing and… His eyes narrowed again.

"Are you drinking?"

"What is she doing here?" Komachi asked before Hachiman could put into words his own thoughts.

"A-Ai-chan."

Both Komachi's words and the idiot idol's fell flat when Hoshino entered the still-apologizing Saitou. Making the older woman look back a bit and lift her head again while Hiratsuka walked past the two of them and positioned herself behind the Hikigaya siblings.

Hoshino followed Hiratsuka with her eyes, a blank smile on her face all the while; contrary to Saitou's stressed-out features.

"It smells like alcohol in here. Is someone drunk?" Hoshino put her hands on one of the chairs opposite to Hachiman, resting her gaze on him while her nose moved a bit.

"Ai."

"Right, sorry." Hoshino pulled back a little, taking some of her hair onto her right shoulder while she glanced at the woman she'd arrived with. Seemingly not at all affected by the tension in the room. Although aware of it. Or at least that's what Hachiman thought when she gracefully bent down, hair out of the way, and her voice turned serene and clear when she spoke with her head low. "I'm very sorry for all of this, everyone. It's our fault that things have escalated to this point."

Hachiman exchanged a look with Komachi, staying silent to confirm that the idol bowing would remain in that position.

It felt… Strange. Like, it's not that Hoshino's approach was wrong. Far from it. That was the least Hachiman expected given that this mess had caught up to Komachi. But it still left a bitter taste in his mouth. Like he was being looked down on.

"Do you do this often?" Hachiman spoke up. "Apologize, I mean."

"Not even with my co-stars, no." Hoshino replied without hesitation, still bowing.

Hachiman clicked his tongue.

"You should both sit." Hiratsuka didn't speak coldly, but still kept a reserved tone as she took the seat on the corner of Hachiman's side. Leaving Komachi between them.

Saitou and Hoshino did as instructed; parallel to both Hiratsuka and Komachi respectively. Although the older woman kept her eyes darting around everyone in the room; while Hoshino kept her eyes on Hiratsuka for some reason.

"Again, thanks for having us. And for waiting before doing anything." Saitou sighed, putting her hands together on the table. Making her fingertips touch their parallel. "Sorry for not arriving sooner."

"Tough day, huh." Hiratsuka commented without much interest.

"You can say that again." Saitou pressed her lips, eyeing Komachi for a moment before returning her attention to the brunette that Hiratsuka had been hosting. "So… Nino."

"Look at what she did to me." The idol complained. Although her voice carried a bit more desperation than annoyance. Maybe because she knew how utterly helpless her situation was.

"She should've sent you to the hospital…"

"Hikigaya." Hiratsuka warned him, voice clear and firm. More a warning than an unspoken order, but still effective enough that Hachiman felt like a little kid being scolded. "Sorry, I need you to understand this isn't normal."

"Yes, I can tell." Saitou gave Hachiman a bit of a worried look, but he couldn't tell if she was thinking about him or about the whole situation. "From our conversations, he's never been this… Aggressive."

"I need you to understand that there's a limit to everything, Saitou-san." Hachiman breathed slowly, keeping his eyes solely on the woman while he figured out how not to curse while talking. "If this girl had approached me, if it had been me, everything would be fine. It'd be kind of creepy, but from what she talked about, I get where she's coming from."

"But?"

Instead of answering, Hachiman put a finger under Komachi's chin and made her turn around a bit. The motion made Hoshino tear her gaze away from Hiratsuka, and looked at the siblings with mute curiosity.

"She touched my sister, Saitou-san. This is unacceptable."

"She looks way better than Nino-chan." Hoshino commented, giving Komachi's face a serious look from her spot.

"I don't…!" Hachiman stopped and took a deep breath. "I don't care if it was only one soft tap, that's 10 thousand too many."

"I… I see." Saitou-san's face changed into a thoughtful frown. "Still, we'd love to avoid more trouble than necessary. And that now involves your sister, so it's not so bad if you hear us out. Right?"

"It's a matter of principle, Saitou-san. When this all started, you said it'd be good for the two of us." Hachiman pointed at Hoshino with his chin, getting her to look at him for a moment. Before her gaze wandered off again. "What did you say back then? Help us heal? I don't think any of this has helped me get over getting sliced on the stomach."

"I also want to think I'd have understood if this girl approached me in peace." Komachi added, closing her eyes while she talked. Like she didn't want to look at the women in front of her. "That'd still have its own problems, but there'd be no desperation mixed in. I could have shrugged it off as someone being weird and just… I dunno. Send her back? Call onii-chan anyway? I can't even picture how that'd have turned out because we're here now."

"Desperation, huh." Saitou eyed the idol herself, making the girl try to make herself smaller under everyone's scrutiny.

"Now she's calm. But she was a mess when Komachi-chan brought her here." Hiratsuka added, shaking her head in disappointment.

"You must be good with young people." Hoshino commented. It sounded strange, out of turn. But Hachiman couldn't pinpoint why.

"I see, I should also thank you for treating Nino well in that case." Saitou looked like she'd aged a little bit just from saying that, but Hachiman kept his attention on his former teacher.

"See, that's the thing: We just gave her food, listened, and let her rest. We didn't do anything besides giving her some basic human decency." Hiratsuka put her elbow on the table and held her head with the hand. "I can't help wonder what's happening in her environment to have something so small have this much of an impact on someone."

"That's…" Saitou's eyes ran through the people on Hachiman's side of the table, clearly holding back what she was about to say. Given that all of them probably looked one corporate-talk away from ganging on her. "A whole new mess to unpack."

"Well, I mean. Not like I don't believe you or anything, but that sounds far-fetched." Komachi replied with such a perfect deadpan, that Hachiman wished they were under different circumstances even more. He felt a little proud of her, even though he still had to reign in the burning sensation in his stomach to keep the conversation civil.

"Ha-ha. I could continue to apologize, but we'd be here all day without going anywhere. I told your brother before, but my goal is first and foremost to keep our company afloat." Saitou frowned.

"Even at the cost of your employees?" Hiratsuka sounded even more irritated by the answer.

"Of some." Saitou didn't seem alright acknowledging the fact, but she did all the same. "They are, in the end, investments. And we can't coddle them all if they're not worth the trouble."

"What kind of black company accepts that so readily?" Hiratsuka now sounded disgusted.

"Well, it's not like Hikigaya here wasn't aware of this. That's why she's here too." Saitou put a hand on Hoshino's shoulders, seemingly 'reactivating' her into paying attention. "Because in the end…"

"It all begins and ends with her." Hachiman's frown deepened when Hoshino gave them a small smile.

"It has always been this way." She shrugged like the topic didn't concern her. "Wherever I go, whatever I do, people always find way to warp things. It's not something I haven't gone through before. I'm used to it."

That… Sounded uncomfortably familiar, but Hachiman forced himself to put the thought aside.

"That's still a lot of coddling from your bosses." Hiratsuka pointed out, giving Saitou a judgmental look.

"Well, I mean, I got Strawberry Pro out of debt." Hoshino gave them a demure peace sign with her right hand. "And also shot B-Komachi from being an underground group to starting a new wave in the idol industry."

She made a peace sign with her left hand when she said that, moving her fingers like scissors as her confidence grew by the second.

"Ah… I don't want to sound conceited, but that's how it is. You can ask anyone in Strawberry Pro. So, when you see it that way, is it really that strange?"

Hachiman ignored her, cutting their locked gazes to check on the other idol. Who looked like she was being beaten back with each word that came out of Hoshino's mouth. Like reality was bearing down on her.

Was that the truth? It did make sense, especially taking into account how this Nino insisted on how much favoritism Ai-chan was given. The people that had left because of her, the environment…

He could see the ugly side of it. The envy, resentment. The personal bias that tainted the girl's words, and that sort of completed the picture. If they were put with someone so much better than them, and people acted the part, they'd unmistakably resent their position. They'd lash out when they were overshadowed so blatantly and successfully.

Like a girl trying to prove her worth but finding herself overwhelmed, giving someone more competent all the work and feeling even more inferior because things started working out. Like jealous girls forcing someone to run for the student council to shut her down… All these things, he'd seen before. It's not like Hachiman was a stranger to jealously. But never before had matters of money and livelihood been mixed into it. The mess was bigger and reached so far that he was now talking to a nation-level idol.

He closed his eyes, feeling the anger cool down against the wave of tiredness that threatened to put him down. Bring him to a place where he didn't want to be.

He re-ignited the embers thinking about the injustice, the stupidity that brought forth the jealousy. The matter of having to protect his sister from selfishness.

"That's a terrible excuse to show favoritism." Hiratsuka spat, making Hoshino flinch whereas Saitou took the accusation in stride. "Are you stupid? These girls also have hopes and dreams. It doesn't matter if they're not as successful, they're still under your care. Is it too much to ask to let them feel like they're doing something right?"

"Dreams and reality are completely different, Hiratsuka-san." Saitou replied, a bit defensive now. "It's good and fine if they want to reach new heights, but we're still a business. We cannot live just out of hopes and dreams."

"Right. Because, if you added "second-hand idol" to the job description then they wouldn't do their best. Right?" Hiratsuka put her hands on the table, glaring at the woman on the other side.

"You're awfully worried about someone that attacked a member of your family."

"She's not our family." Komachi replied immediately.

"Oh, really? Could've fooled me." Saitou tilted her head.

"She's our teacher." Hachiman added.

"Was." Hiratsuka corrected him. "I am here because this is my house, and that's it."

"What were you two doing here anyway?" Hoshino shot a look at Hiratsuka, scanning her face for something that Hachiman didn't understand. "It feels a bit weird, to be honest."

"What? You don't think Hikigaya would need to catch up with his studies after spending so much time at the hospital?" Hiratsuka glared at the idol, not giving even a moment for Hoshino's words to settle.

"…I didn't say that." Hoshino retreated, looking down while Hiratsuka crossed her arms.

"I was out and about." Komachi reminded them. "Doing my own thing, being silly. Being the best Komachi there is."

"I… Take offense on that." Hoshino chuckled.

"Yeah… There's no competition, sorry." The younger Hikigaya shrugged.

"B-Komachi is my life. I've been doing this for far longer than even I expected." Hoshino explained, playing with her hands while she talked. Like she was telling a story. "It would be no exaggeration to say that it's my whole world. I don't know if you understand what I mean."

"I understand that it's pretty sad that your job is your whole world." Komachi replied mercilessly.

"Ah ha ha! You don't know the full story." Hoshino scoffed weakly.

"And we will never know, apparently." Hiratsuka interjected. "Because you're too much of a cash cow for your bosses to even let you interact with your co-stars."

"But we do things together all the time?"

"Sure. Because you need to practice, rehearse, rest, and do a bunch of other stuff together." Hiratsuka shrugged, fixing her hair while she talked like she needed to stay busy. "But how true is that outside of work hours? I don't know you, and it's pretty evident that you alone don't do anything with them when the clock runs out."

"It's not like I don't want to." Hoshino insisted. "It's just, y'know, complicated."

"Right." Hachiman scoffed, giving the other idol a side glance to gauge her reaction. Which felt like got him more information than trying to read Hoshino herself.

"It really is! To begin with, my own relationship with Miyako-san and Ichigo-san is more complicated than with the rest of B-Komachi." Hoshino dragged her chair back, startling Saitou as she stood up and leaned down to hug the stressed-out woman from behind. "Back in the day, and probably even now, some of my fellow idols thought that I sleep around with Ichigo-san for my privileges. But how could I do that? After all, he adopted me when he scouted me for B-Komachi. Which means… Miyako-san is my mom, and he's my dad. Right?"

The look of realization that hit Nino took Hachiman a bit by surprise, but knowing what he knew about business from the Yukinoshita…

"Right." In the end, it's not strange to see corporations follow these old-fashioned patterns. Right? Some of them are the new face of monarchy, or noble bloodlines letting people inherit the right to rule.

Saitou hesitated, but ultimately put a hand over Hoshino's own. Visibly calming down as the idol embraced her even through the uncomfortable position that had the backrest of Saitou's chair dig into Hoshino's belly.

"I see. Makes sense." Hiratsuka scoffed. "It's a story I've seen enough times to get tired of it: Overprotective parents spoiling their kids rotten, not knowing that they're hurting them in the long run."

"Considering that Ai-chan is our strongest assets, I believe you're simplifying it a bit too much." Saitou complained.

"Wait, so…" Nino finally spoke up. Seemingly feeling shocked enough to forget her hangups about this whole situation. "So the reason why Ai-chan is so much more than all of us combined… The reason I lost the spot of the center…"

"Ah, don't misunderstand. Nino-chan." Hoshino interrupted her, releasing Saitou from her embrace. "As I said, it's a bit more complicated than that. It's like… Hmmm…"

She put her hand under her chin, making a point of showing how she was deep in thought. It felt planned, fabricated. But Hachiman couldn't help trying to visualize how all of those movements connected to something else. To a bigger picture.

Like the strings of a puppet connecting to the hands of the puppeteer. Clearly packed with intention.

"I've seen this going around on the internet a lot, and I don't get it. But I guess your question can amount to "Are you Ai-chan because you're the president's daughter, or are you the president's daughter because you're Ai-chan?"; right?" The reference slapped Hachiman so strongly that he almost lost the train of thought, having to blink and shake his head a little to concentrate back on Hoshino's words. "Well, in my case, I think it's both. I am Ai-chan because I was adopted by president Ichigo, and I was adopted by president Ichigo because I am Ai-chan. He scouted me because he saw something he didn't see anywhere else. And he saw something in me, so he did his best to give me the ability to exploit it to its maximum potential."

The brunette fell into a deep silence, visibly unable to process the things that were being said. But Hoshino didn't seem to notice or care.

"In other words… No, you didn't lose your position as center because it was meant for me. You lost it because B-Komachi itself was supposed to be built around the idea of Ai-chan." Hoshino brought a smile to her face and pointed at it with both hands, heedless of how it drove her fellow idol further into the dirt. "The best-est, cutest, most invincible idol there is. It just so happens that I was chosen, but it also just so happens that there's seldom people like me around. People that have that certain something that Ichigo-san was looking for."

Ah… Is that how it is? Damn. Couldn't it have been something else?

Why is it that things always go back to that? Why is it that Hachiman can never escape that particular illusion?

"Invincible, huh." Komachi murmured. "Right."

"Or maybe…" Hiratsuka cut through the conversation, bringing Hoshino's attention back to the people she was supposed to be worried about. "You're lacking a certain something that he wanted to avoid. Ever thought of that?"

Hachiman suppressed a smirk. Even if Hoshino tanked that accusation bravely, she still stopped smiling and dropped the unnecessary movements when she regarded Hiratsuka fully.

"That sounds wrong." Hoshino replied. "If I lack something, then why even bother? Isn't that backwards thinking?"

"Lacking things others have isn't necessarily bad." Hachiman interjected, looking away when he realized he might be thinking about himself too much. "It's also not good. It's just… A trait, I guess. Something that makes people fit better or worse in certain situations, in certain environments. And it shows, especially when it makes people fit too well or too badly."

Hoshino smiled at that.

"You would know."

Hachiman raised his hands like he was asking for a cease fire.

"I didn't say that." Then, his eyes became sharper. "And that's beside the point."

"Right." Hoshino walked toward her chair but didn't sit down, instead placing her hands on the backrest.

Saitou sighed once again.

"I don't think you'll listen to me now, right?" The woman scratched above her right eyebrow. Preparing to hear something unpleasant.

"No."

"Even if I…?"

"No, Saitou-san."

"You've never been this uncooperative." She tried to fetch for some sympathy, any purchase she could get.

"I'll crush you if it means keeping my sister safe."

They glared at each other, unable to reach a compromise. Or at least, that's what Hachiman thought.

"Then I should cut the chase." Saitou closed her eyes like she was in physical pain. "What do you want?"

"I'm not sure I believe you'd deliver." Hachiman replied, voice as even as he could make it.

"It's not like I can just sign an empty piece of paper to ensure that we come to an agreement, Hikigaya. I need something too."

"Maybe you should've thought about it before hiding so much from your own employees that you're now in this position." Komachi shrugged. "But hey, I'm no businesswoman. What do I know?"

"I'm starting to see the similarities." Saitou narrowed her eyes.

"Thanks." Komachi replied simply.

"I like to think I helped make her the best there is." Hachiman nodded.

Saitou turned to face Hiratsuka.

"Money."

"Right." Saitou shook her head. "That's doable. Ai is pretty profitable."

"I am, yeah." Hoshino nodded with some self-satisfaction.

"What about me?" The other idol couldn't help asking, slouching on her spot and looking more like a kicked wet dog than a person.

"You're removing her, yes?" Hachiman glared at Saitou.

"Wait. I…"

"I need to protect B-Komachi, and Strawberry Pro, Hikigaya." Saitou stated coldly, holding back her bite. "I can't just proclaim we're dropping Nino because of what happened here."

"Nino-chan is one of our founding members. It'd be a big hit if that's how she goes." Hoshino frowned, but the expression felt plastic. Almost like she was imitating Hachiman's own scowl.

"As I understand, others have come and gone. Just like that." Komachi looked down at her phone, where some information about the idol group was displayed.

"Well, yes A-chan. But Nino-chan is different."

"What did you call me?" Komachi's idiot hair almost stood straight from the shook of being given a nickname by Hoshino. "Take that back!"

"Why? We're talking about two different Komachis here, it can get confusing." Hoshino pointed out with a raised finger. "So, given you're the older Komachi, you're therefore A-Komachi. Makes sense, right?"

"Komachi's Komachi! Just call your group its whole name!"

"Stop trying to provoke my sister." Hachiman growled as soon as he got the chance.

"I'm not, though!" Hoshino reacted like she was offended by the accusation, even though Hachiman was perfectly in the right here.

"Hey, this is my future on the line. Y'know?!" The brunette idol interrupted, slamming her hands on the table. "Miyako-san! Please, don't tell me you're going to sell me just like that?! I was the center before Ai-chan, I've done my best. I've given B-Komachi my all!"

"I know." Saitou nodded slowly, not looking at her.

"Isn't this weird?! You're going to accommodate him just because he has ties to Ai-chan?!"

"It's not… It's not just that he saved her life, Nino." Saitou sighed once more. That was becoming a nasty habit, huh. "I'm not considering it because Ai asked me or anything."

"For the record, I'd like to take Nino-chan's side." Hoshino's smile became awkward. "But, y'know, I can't do it in good conscience when I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him."

"You're not helping either." Saitou glared at her daughter.

"I think we were asked to make things clear, put everything on the table." Hoshino replied.

"Look, I came here to negotiate. Ensure that I can give you as small a punishment as I can without blowback. Because, like Ai said, you're one of the founding members of B-Komachi. The fans believe in the fixture of the original four. It'd be worse compared to any other members." Saitou's frown deepened, glancing at Hachiman's side of the table and gauging their reaction. "But if I ask more of this guy… That'd probably break the contract we have with his family."

"Remember that I almost died, Nino-chan." Hoshino's comment felt horrifying. Just like when she spoke of her almost-murderer like a fond person. It creeped Hachiman out so much that he got goosebumps from her voice alone.

"I… I get that…"

"You know I appeared from below the stage to reassure everyone, right? To keep the illusion going for a bit longer." Hoshino talked like it was the most obvious thing in the world, but Hachiman had the slight suspicion that this was deliberate. Rather than made out of her mental fortitude alone.

It reminded him of the way someone else had carried herself. Elegant, strong, unreachable.

Frail beneath it all.

"I've given B-Komachi and Strawberry Pro my all, as my love letter to the chance of becoming something more than a pitiful orphan destined to oblivion." Hoshino's expression fell, all at once losing the glow that Hachiman had come to associate with the Hoshino he could see. Rather than the one he heard through the phone. "I will not let them die out, just like they didn't let me do the same. Do you understand where I'm coming from? It might be selfish, but I can only beg for forgiveness after I've ensured my mission has been fulfilled."

Then, Hoshino turned her attention to the siblings.

"According to Ichigo-san, we can put Nino-chan on the bench "temporarily". Open up auditions, look for a better fit."

"Wait. Wait, Ai-chan. You can't just…" The brunette left her chair, falling to her knees and grabbing Hoshino by the lowest part of her pale sweater.

"How does that sound? I don't know if you'd be okay with her coming back if nothing happens, but that'd still leave a mark. Right? The point is to avoid giving our lovely fans concrete answers as to what happened. That's all we ask." Hoshino did not pay any heed to her co-worker. She completely ignored the way she was shaken, and her voice did not waver as result. "And you? You can get anything we can give, of course. I'll make sure of it."

Hoshino had started acting out too much, too blatantly. It felt like Hachiman was being overwhelmed by the mixed signals she was giving. So he'd stopped thinking too deeply about it, or else he would be unable to act and react to it all.

He turned his gaze toward Saitou, who simply nodded with the heaviness of a woman out of options.

"You can visit Ichigo if you don't believe us. I'll schedule it."

Hachiman blinked a couple of times and looked back at his sister.

"It's your injury." He said, hoping he wasn't making it too obvious that he had no idea of what to think out of this.

Komachi looked at her brother for a few moments before returning her gaze to Saitou.

"Modeling and stuff sounds fun." Komachi didn't actually sound excited, but she was also far from the ruined mood she'd been so far. "For a bit."

Saitou closed her eyes.

"That can be arranged." Her voice had turned a bit deeper, and Hachiman noticed the tension had left her face a bit. "You too, Hikigaya. If you need any form of income…"

"I'd first believe Hiratsuka-san would be a better fit for modeling." He raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms to show that he doubted Saitou's words.

"Hah!" Hiratsuka let out a single cackle, looking away and hiding her face with her left hand. "Stop it. You'll make me blush."

"It takes more than just looks to be a model. The industry is weird like that, always being super picky about what kind of body-type they want." Saitou replied like someone who'd been disappointed by the person talking.

"Really? You don't think Hiratsuka-san is modeling material?" Honestly? Hachiman couldn't believe it. He'd usually not cross this limit, but it felt as outrageous as if he'd been told that he was somehow idol material. It just boggled his mind to the point that he needed to call bullshit on it.

Saitou raised an eyebrow, and simply ran her hand from her head to the part of her torso that Hachiman could see in a clear "look at me" motion.

Hachiman narrowed his eyes.

"I'm not a model." Saitou elaborated. "I'm also not cut for it, apparently."

Hachiman realized that he should not have opened his mouth after all.

"Ah, well. Yeah." He looked away. "That line of business is bullshit, indeed."

"Thanks." Saitou couldn't help the smile that came to her face as she fixed her hair a bit. "So… Do we have a deal?"

"I won't oppose my sister's wishes." Hachiman shrugged.

"If she's all bite and no bark, let her sink." Komachi glared at the prostrated idol, who was having Hoshino whisper in her ear. Her eyes not really looking at anything, like she was being brainwashed in real time. "But, uh, I doubt it. So I'm fine with it."

"Okay. Good, great even." Saitou seemed to be able to breathe better now. "Pulling Nino out of B-Komachi for an unspecified amount of time, and a meeting with Ichigo. Done."

"What do you mean 'unspecified'?" Hachiman glared at her again.

"That you should discuss how permanent it should be with him." She replied instantly. "That's beyond my paycheck."

Hachiman saw Hiratsuka shake her head from the corner of his eyes as Saitou stood up.

"Ai."

The idol turned around, pulling her co-star along.

"Can you go ahead?" Hoshino smiled softly at her mom. "Take Nino-chan to Ichigo-san?"

"He's here?" Hiratsuka interjected.

"He's doing something equally as important, but yes." Hoshino assured them with a big nod. "Taking care of matters, so to speak."

Hachiman glared at her.

"Hachiman-san…" Hoshino's eyes felt like they'd devour him whole. "Let's talk?"

"That was…" The days were becoming chilly. Soon enough, people would need to wear thicker coats. Maybe something on the ears and hands thanks to the snow that was soon to fall. And yet, for now, Hachiman didn't feel cold because of the weather. But because of seeing the idiot idol go through her walk of shame while following Saitou. "Kind of easy."

His anger had subsided, leaving him hollowed out in an uncomfortable way. He'd felt like this before, but not out of anger. Instead, the overwhelming cocktail of emotions that Yukino had left behind when she dropped out of college without warning had made him unable to react to anything. Sort of having him dissociate through most of his days for a bit, before he settled into despair. And then into something far colder but equally as devastating.

"Did you think we'd come with all our might? Lawyers in tow and ready to take everything away?" Hoshino chuckled, heedless of the memories that she'd unwittingly awoken. Slowly crouching until she, too, was sitting on the edge of the sidewalk. Looking at the night sky just millimeters away from Hachiman. She must've been cold, because even Miura and Ebina liked to give themselves a bit more space in similar situations. "For all our faults, we're not evil."

That sounded strangely familiar, which snapped Hachiman out of his thoughts.

"Is that so?"

"You'll have to take my word for it." Hoshino chuckled. "Or… You could see for yourself. I think that you're charismatic, if nothing else. You won't know if you don't try, I know that was the case for me. At least."

Hachiman scoffed, not wanting to think too deeply about anything at the moment.

"I see how it is: You lull me into a false sense of security, and when I least expect it, I'm pulling all-nighters for 1% of all revenue of my work." Hachiman scoffed while shaking his head. "Bet your dad's taught you how to spin around a contract like that."

"I don't actually consider Ichigo-san my dad, y'know." Hoshino titled her head, somehow making her flat voice sound entirely insincere. "It's just a straightforward way to make others understand my position."

"Can't believe you're a… What's it called? Nepo-baby?"

"What is that?" Hoshino blinked, confused.

"Never mind, I don't know myself."

"Then don't bring it up." She rolled her eyes, although it felt more for show than anything. "But really, give it a try. Ichigo-san has a good eye for people, he can probably make you fit somewhere."

"I fit here well enough, away from the cameras and nosy people." Hachiman scowled again. "I didn't ask for any of this, nor do I plan on proving to my middle school classmates how right they were about how lame I am."

"Eh?"

"Never mind, I'm talking to myself." Hachiman sighed. "Just regular bad experiences."

"Regular, you say?" Hoshino narrowed her eyes.

"Like you'll find everywhere else in the world. No one lives a perfect life, no one has been happy forever since childhood." Hachiman looked at the stars again, taking deep breaths to avoid letting those memories in as well. He had enough seeing Yukino whenever he closed his eyes. "That only happens in dreams and fantasy."

"Eh… That's kind of depressing." Hoshino followed his gaze, trying to find something in the sky. "I wonder if it's out there somewhere."

"What?"

"Spica." Hoshino replied. "I once made a wish, learned a bit of it. It'd be nice if I could show it to you now."

Hachiman blinked, not knowing what to say about that for a moment.

"I didn't know you were superstitious."

"My life is kind of like a tale, Hachiman-san. With its ups… And downs." Hoshino smirked partially, her lips curling up to the right for a moment. "I'm just glad that I didn't reach the last line on the last page before I finished my business in this world."

"You sound like an alien sent to conquer us all." Hachiman awkwardly curled his lips up.

"Hmmm, I might be? I've never been normal. No matter where I go or who I meet."

"Now you sound like an edgy teen. Are you okay?"

Hoshino chuckled and looked back to Hachiman.

"Like I told you at the hospital: I don't think we have time for that." She returned her gaze to the sky, her expression breaking down until the bare "Hoshino" that had little but her job peered through the light in her eyes. "Even telling you this took me a lot of courage and self-reflection. Facing things I've forgotten how to face, things I haven't thought about for years."

Her expression didn't change, not in the slightest, but it felt as though Hoshino had become a little girl when she next spoke.

"I don't like feeling so small."

"Why don't you quit?" It's not like it takes a genius to know how badly her job affected her, that the environment fostered hurt her no matter how much she insisted her bosses/parents weren't evil. It didn't make sense. Although Hachiman would have to admit that he was biased in this as well.

"I haven't found what I'm looking for, I haven't learned what I need to learn." Hoshino replied without thinking too much about it. "But I think I'm close, like actually. Not in the abstract way I've been thus far."

"I… See." He didn't get it, but he at least could relate to the struggle of getting what he wanted. To be so desperate to keep it at arms' reach for so long that he'd forgotten to actually take it when he found it in his grasp.

He hated that feeling, because he could see a little of himself in Hoshino's eyes. He'd compared her to the Yukinoshita sisters before, to his own pain for wildly different reasons, but now? Now he could see a little of himself in those bright eyes of hers. Those eyes that oozed self-pity, those eyes that reflected nothing of the world but a Hachiman he couldn't see in the mirror. He knew what they were saying, and seeing the message so clearly had him feel his own eyes water. He had to close them, because the truth was too raw to take all at once.

The thing he should've said when Yukino broke up with him, the thing he should've said when his silence made Yui retreat and take care of her matters by herself. What he should've said when everyone was forced to move on when he refused to lift a finger.

It pained him enough that he didn't register Hoshino getting close to him, taking advantage of his closed eyes. It made him breathless enough that he didn't notice that she had sealed his lips until he actually felt his lungs demand oxygen, and he didn't notice the softness and warmth in his face until it was too late.

The thing he should've said, the thing Hoshino so desperately was trying to convey.

I don't want to give up.

But the time had long passed, and the only thing that remained was the bitterness of two souls with nothing to show for it. Reeling back from reality staring down at them and demanding that they understood that their days were counted, that the clock hadn't stopped just because they pitied themselves. It's not like he knowingly or willingly returned the feelings that Hoshino pushed onto him that night. Nor is it like Hoshino wanted to make the first step. When he asked her, if he asked her, she'd tell him that she did it just because she felt like it was right for the mood. That, because she didn't know him that well, she was unable to take the hint and did the thing she felt was right.

It wasn't right. It was selfish, self-compassionate. But at the end of it all, actions often spoke more than words. It's not like they'd be able to understand each other even if they said everything there was to be said, it's not like Hachiman could've accepted her if he hadn't felt the sheer desperation that years of lies prevented her from conveying.

It's not like he didn't regret it as soon as their lips stopped touching, or that he didn't run away the next moment.

But, even with all those things clouding his mind, the one thing that he couldn't lie about is that Hoshino Ai was the exact kind of woman that made Hachiman lose his mind: Shining, successful, bigger-than-life… And so very small all the same. It's not like Hachiman didn't kick himself for falling this low but, given the circumstances, there was no possible way that he could've prevented Hoshino from taking advantage of this weakness. Not after being hollowed out so thoroughly like during that night.