To their credit, the lunch break was… Alright. Hachiman didn't have much of an appetite, but the general consensus seemed to be that food, indeed, made things a little more tolerable. Or at least that's what it looked like, given how the barriers between the two "sides" from back in the meeting room apparently blurred as people started chatting and passing napkins and stuff.
"Yeah, Hiratsuka-san taught me a bit of self-defense. You never know, nowadays." He heard Komachi speak, surrounded by two of the idols that had been with Hoshino until she took a spot close to her dad.
Hachiman's sister had been a little concerned at first, but the girls apparently learned from Hoshino's mistake and actually asked a question without trying to imply anything bad about Komachi. They did kind of surround her a bit, but Hachiman waited to see if his sister needed help, rather than going straight to her defense.
"Especially after onii-chan's 'accident'. You feel me?"
"A-Ah…"
"Of course, haha… I'd have freaked out too…"
Hmp. These two at least took the hint and didn't push too much. Perhaps after meeting Hoshino and the Nino girl, Hachiman's expectations of the group had become weird. Or perhaps they were bidding their time, waiting for him to lower his guard to strike again. Who knew? Not Hachiman. All he could do was observe, bide his time. And, of course, see if he could… Wait. Where's the other one?
"It's really good?! What's with this?" Yui startled him a bit, cheering all of a sudden when she'd been standing by his side. Giving him her back while holding some sort of pastry with dark jelly stuffed inside, and being surrounded by Miura, Saika, Zaimokuza and…
Wait. When did this idol get in the group?!
"Right? This particular brand of coffee is Miyako-san's favorite, I think. And it goes so well with the jelly. But we kind of can't eat it all the time, but we're not practicing or doing rehearsals so…" The girl… Kyun? She'd somehow wormed her way into the semi-circle that the group traced and chatted away like nothing happened, using the table with pastries as crutch the regard everyone and keep them engaged.
"Hmmm. Of course." Miura was checking on the drink like some sort of scientist, weighing whether she should give in or not. "This'll probably dehydratase you a bit if you drink before dance classes."
"Is that the case? I thought the caffeine did something to the skin or the like." The idol replied without paying too much attention to the blonde, eating away like these things didn't apply to her.
"It's the caffeine, yes." Miura deadpanned but took a sip all the same.
"Miura-san, we have this conversation every time we eat out. Just try it." Zaimokuza shook his head with some disappointment.
"Yoshiteru-kun is right! A little break from the strict diet won't hurt~" Saika beamed with light, life, and love. Making Hachiman's heart flutter a little when he gave his objectively correct opinion.
"I am serious about the things I do, though." Miura tried to defend herself; but given that Yui chuckled at her comment, she wasn't doing a very good job at all.
"It's fine, it's fine!" Kyun cheered along, slipping another pastry into her mouth. "Ish fiin tha ta ish ishee shommtims."
Miura looked in Hachiman's direction.
"Hikio's not eating anything."
"I'm not hungry." Hachiman put a hand out like he could stop Miura with the force of his mind. "We have this conversation every time we buy alcohol too. And you always end up plastered. So stop being a tsundere and just eat, you know you want to."
"Oh, that's so not true." The Fire Queen hissed, blushing when the other two guys nodded sagely at Hachiman's words. "Hina…"
"Hina-chan told me some things~" Yui interjected with a bit of a teasing tone, enough to make Miura speechless.
"Oh~ drinking stories. Those are fun." The idol in the middle of the group downed what she had in her mouth with a big sip of her cup.
"You guys go out often?" Yui turned to her, letting Miura have some slack before she could get too embarrassed in front of the few strangers still around.
"Eh… Not really." Kyun took a nervous sip this time, stalling for a bit of time. "We have an image to maintain, and some of us became of drinking age recently so…"
"I've never heard of a scandal of this kind." Zaimokuza pointed out.
"Nah, nah. For all that's happened, Saitou-san knows how to keep things in the down low." The girl nodded to herself. "Gosh, I was almost fired like twice last year for blunders!"
That comment made everyone stop in their tracks.
"What… What did you do?" Saika graced the idol with his curiosity.
"Err… Nothing too important. Arriving late, forgetting important dates. Stuff like that." Kyun looked back to the table, reaching for a pastry and bringing it close to Hachiman. "Here!"
"I'm not hungry." He repeated himself, crossing his arms to make a point of not accepting it.
"Oh, c'mon! It's really good."
"Yeah, Hikki. You have to try it out." Damn. This girl already had Yui on her side. As expected of an idol, Hachiman supposed. Even after all that awkwardness, she'd wormed her way into the group.
Now, granted. It's Yui. Yui likes everyone. But still.
"I'm fine."
"C'mon, don't make me feed you." Yui pouted, looking faux angry with him in a way that made her look more like the Yuigahama Yui that he knew from before. Instead of the tired ex-member of the Service Club he'd found days before.
It broke his defenses enough that he dropped his arms.
"Gee, fine." He accepted the pastry offered and took a bite, feeling the sweetness activate the nerves inside his mouth until he had to stop chewing because of how strong the flavor was.
This thing would make MAX coffee taste bland…
"Well?" Kyun asked with an expectant smile.
"'s alright, I guess."
"Whaaa…?"
"Leave him alone, he's like that." Miura scoffed, having regained her bearings already.
"It means he liked it~" Yui offered them a chuckle, and the group seemed to agree with her.
"It's just alright." Hachiman defended himself after swallowing, taking a moment to look at them before turning around and getting closer to his sister. "Komachi, try this."
"And I… Eh?" Komachi turned around and opened her mouth without seeing what Hachiman was offering, looking sidewise to the other idols to avoid breaking eye contact as she almost bit his fingers. "Sweet! Too sweet! What is this? I'm getting diabetes in real time!"
"Ah, I could never eat those." The dark green-haired idol shook her head slowly. "I don't know why Kyun likes them so much."
"Yeah, you kind of look like you like back coffee and stuff." Komachi finished chewing and spoke before turning to Hachiman. "Where did you get it?"
Hachiman stepped aside so she could see what the table offered closer to the rest of the group.
"Black coffee is… Alright. Meimei likes it better." The idol pressed her lips together like she was holding back a comment. Then, her attention landed on Hachiman. "Don't let Kyun feed you too many of those, your stomach will resent it."
"Hmmm…" Hachiman looked at his sister scavenging for something sweet to eat. "That might be a problem."
"Eh, you could stand to gain some weight." The other idol chimed in, scanning Hachiman with the same clinical judgment that Miura did from time to time.
"I was at the hospital recently." He reminded her, furrowing his eyebrows.
"So? Doesn't change anything."
This girl…
"Hmm, I guess." He just chose to ignore her. Giving the others his attention as the commented one thing or another while eating.
"I thought you'd go chat Ai-chan up." The brunette added, making Hachiman glare at her when he had to give her his attention again.
"And that's why you're paid for dancing, not for thinking."
"Don't make an ass of yourself, Hikigaya." Saitou approached them, looking every bit as tired as Yui had when Hachiman arrived at her tiny apartment, and lazily took a couple of pastries for herself in a plate. "These are high-spec girls you're dealing with."
"Hmhm…" The brunette looked at him smugly from behind Saitou.
Hachiman looked from her to Saitou, and then back to the girl. He chose to take it easy, given that the tired woman was the one that would give Yui a decent job.
"Bait used to be believable…"
"Well, given that you have some friends I think it's hardly difficult to believe we're…"
"You're using too many words here." Hachiman interrupted the green-haired idol. "Waste of breath, already got bored. Insult me in a more concise way or don't."
"I really don't envy Hiratsuka's job." Saitou sighed, looking at both the idol and Hachiman with a disappointed look. "Just go to another room and finish your business there."
"Miyako-san!" The green-haired idol's face quickly became red as she gritted her teeth, more angry than embarrassed.
"Shouldn't you be with your husband or something?" Hachiman growled, looking at the place where the men, Hiratsuka, and Hoshino had been.
Eh? When did they leave?
"I don't smoke." Saitou scoffed. "The office smells of cigar already with just Ichigo. The complaining wouldn't stop if I got the habit too."
"I can't see Ai-chan complaining about anything." The brunette on his side commented.
Hachiman stayed silent, observing.
"Complaining might be a strong word, but her nose is weird like that." Oh, so it was about Hoshino after all? Well, as expected of her mom. She probably knew what Hoshino's complaints, or her version of them, would look like.
Her nose, huh.
"Is that why you stopped using that perfume?" Kyun asked from the group's side, moving to the side so that Yui wouldn't get in the way. Making the girl take a step back. "What was the name? Something European?"
"That's neither a country or a language." Hachiman pointed out.
"Whatever. Is that why?"
"Yeah, kind of." Saitou nodded slowly.
"It smelled nice." The green-haired girl commented.
"It was a bit strong." The girl beside her added.
Wait. If that's the case, then…?
"What about…?" He stopped to look at the brunette idol, but chose to ignore her. Hachiman wouldn't let some random girl prevent him from asking what he wanted to ask or do things he didn't want to do. "What about…?"
"Ai?" Saitou interjected when she realized that Hachiman was having trouble calling out for her. "I don't know."
"She's like that. She talks little, leaves when we're not looking." The brunette scoffed.
"Not like we'll get much out of her." The green-haired girl added.
Saitou made a very obvious effort to ignore the two.
Wise. Because when they didn't get anything from her, they turned their eyes toward Hachiman. And, no matter what his friends said, he was no pushover with things like these.
"What?" He let Saitou retreat, head toward the exist while he took care of this. It felt like she didn't care too much about the idols she was leaving behind, alone with his group without supervision. But he couldn't fault her either. They were grown-ups, in theory.
If they can't take care of themselves, that'd just make them failures as people.
"They're taken aback by your dashing looks, onii-chan." Komachi deadpanned while elbowing him, chewing on her food while looking as unimpressed as she sounded.
"You don't have to tease him that badly." The green-haired idol chuckled. "At least say something a little believable."
"I'll have you know my brother can pull real baddies if he wants." Komachi puffed her chest, raising her voice a little and interrupting the conversation on the other side.
"Hey, Komachi…"
"Ah, it's easy to forget she's as much of a brocon as he is a siscon…" Miura sounded disappointed, having her natural apex predator instincts kick in when she heard someone trying to be menacing in her territory (?). So she took a step in their direction and gave the other group her back.
The idols' expression fell a little.
"Oh, she was serious…?"
"Ahem." Hachiman coughed on his fist, bringing everyone's attention back to him. "Komachi, please don't embarrass me in front of the otaku-bait."
"I'll call security on you." The green-haired idol glared at him.
Hachiman scoffed.
"Saitou-san~! Your girls are harassing me~!"
Saitou was shy of closing the door behind her when she stopped and turned to glare at him, then at the idols.
"Is this going to be a reoccurring thing…?" Kyun sounded either disappointed or defeated, but Hachiman didn't pay more attention to her.
"Can I leave any of you alone for five minutes? Please?" Saitou growled from her spot, not bothering to go back in.
Hachiman just shrugged.
"I promise that he's very nice once you get to know him." Yui chuckled awkwardly.
"I just don't bother extending courtesy to those that don't deserve it." Hachiman shrugged.
Even Komachi looked disappointed now.
"Ha-Hachiman-san. Why don't we look around?" Saika came in to the rescue, moving out of the formation to get closer to Hachiman.
"Oh, no." Now that? That made Saitou go back in. "Please don't go wandering around, I really can't deal with two people snooping around and making a mess somewhere I can't see."
"Is that really the way to treat guests?" Hachiman lifted an eyebrow, disappointed that Saitou would think someone as angelic as Saika would do anything wrong at all.
"Please, make my job easier." Saitou released a tired sigh.
He did feel a little bad for her…
"Can I at least know where the restrooms are?"
"Really?" Saitou glared at Hachiman.
"Hey, I'm only human."
"Fine. I'll show you." Then, she turned her gaze to Yui. "And, Yuigahama? We can have that interview right now, if it's alright with you."
"Eh? Ah! Yes!" Yui took another pastry from the table and quickly approached the woman.
"Don't take too long." Komachi warned her brother before he could get too far away.
"I know." There was no way that Hoshino just straight up left without saying a word to her co-workers. Let alone greeting anyone, or even caring about seeing how things developed. She wasn't stupid. That'd hurt her image, even if just in the eyes of a handful of people.
Like, Zaimokuza had been doing his best to hold back his excitement. Hoshino had to know, had to see. And her persona felt like the kind that wouldn't leave someone like Zaimokuza hanging.
Or maybe Hachiman was overthinking it, again. It happened quite a lot when it came to Hoshino nowadays.
"And you." Saitou glared at the girls again. "Please… Just be people."
The idols exchanged a quick glance. They looked like they wanted to say something, but the idea died in their mouth as Saitou held their glance instead of walking away after saying her piece.
The girl that was talking with Hachiman's friends gave Saitou a double thumbs up.
"Fine." Said the brunette.
The green-haired girl did not respond.
"Hiratsuka said you're very good at seeing things." Saitou commented once they were out of the room.
"That's a rather backwards way to comment on my eyes." Hachiman replied, making Saitou roll her eyes.
"You know what I mean."
"I don't think that's the kind of expertise you're looking for." Yui commented, following from behind. "Hikki can find problems, yes. But…"
"I just make them worse." Hachiman scoffed.
Saitou remained silent until she pointed at the restrooms.
Hachiman did not move.
"What is it?"
"Can you wait here for a moment?"
"Aren't you a little old to need help?" Saitou glared at him now.
"Don't be ridiculous. It's just…"
"What? Are you scared?"
"Can you honestly say that I can be left alone here and nothing will happen?" Hachiman glared back.
"Err…"
"Look. This place is perfectly safe. The staff knows you guys are here, the girls won't try anything. It's fine." Saitou interrupted Yui with a huff. "Now, we're gonna talk to your friend here. We're getting her a sweet deal, and Ichigo and the director will go back to the room. And nothing will happen. Okay?"
"I don't think so."
Saitou's face looked pained.
"Why?"
"I just don't trust you."
"Okay, want me to stay? Saitou-san can go ahead." Yui interjected. Placing herself between them.
Uh, no. What would Yui be able to do if Hoshino appeared? Hachiman would rather deal with her alone than expose Yui to her without anyone else backing him up.
"…You'll not live this one down." Hachiman warned Saitou and entered the men's restroom.
He did his business, he got out.
…
"Huh." Indeed, nothing happened.
He frowned, looking around the hallway. Bothered.
How come? He fully expected someone sidetracking him. An unexpected encounter, something weird happening. So what gives?
He felt phantom pains in his hands, but he just shook them to tear his mind out of it.
Hoshino was standing outside the room where everyone had been eating, sort of resting her back against the wall and staring into nothing. Like a standby robot waiting to be turned on.
Okay. Not what he expected, but still within what felt reasonable. At least no one tried to attack him or started insulting him right when he left the toilet.
Hachiman sighed in preparation.
"What are you doing out here?" He didn't growl, but his voice didn't sound pleased either. It made Hoshino 'wake up' and regard him with a poker face. Fixing the dark-colored casual dress she wore before speaking.
"Ah, you're here." It felt odd to hear the usual cheer lacking in her voice. But he supposed she wouldn't bother given that they were alone. "Where did you go?"
"Bathroom break."
"Ah."
"Yeah. Why did you leave, though?" Hachiman approached until they were at arms' length. He didn't want to, but he couldn't let it show either. It'd make him more self-conscious. And he really didn't want to think about the possibility of Hoshino wanting more physical contact like before and…
Hachiman closed his eyes for a moment. Damned hormones.
"Idol secret."
"Really?" He tilted his head, a little bothered by the odd answer.
"Ai-chan secret." She corrected, placing a finger in front of her sealed lips. That looked cute.
"You have a lot of those."
"That's me, alright." She shrugged. The usual cheer still was nowhere to be seen, at least not with the strength that Hachiman had seen her employ. She waited a little, but Hachiman refused to ask about it. And it felt like she noticed too, because she simply chuckled before speaking again with upturned eyes. "I thought you went out looking for me."
Hachiman looked away, embarrassed.
"…People would've noticed."
"Who exactly?" She took a step forward. But Hachiman didn't know if she noticed herself.
"Everyone."
"Your friends?"
Hachiman stared at her again.
"Everyone." He insisted. "Like, even if I took my time, you leave then I do the same? What do you think people will think?"
"That's… Fair, I guess." Hoshino looked away, scratching her chin in a faux pondering motion. "Not like they are in any position to start rumors or anything. Kyun has had boyfriends before, and I think I heard Ari is in a relationship? I don't know about the other one."
What did she mean by "the other one"? If she didn't remember, why would Hachiman do it?
"Do you really think people will look at themselves before doing these kinds of things?" Not like he meant to sound accusatory, but his words made Hoshino take a moment to think about it.
Would she think that Hachiman was referring to her? He did tell her to slow down that night…
Ugh. No. Concentrate.
No. Wait. Actually…
"Did you stop to think about what you were saying to Yui-san before?"
Something in her expression changed, became more plastic as the corner of her lips stretched upward.
"Ah, I apologized. Didn't I? It's really not what you think." Hoshino didn't sound cheerful. But instead showed an affable front like she would with some of the most serious topics that she had covered on the TV. Back when there was nothing to watch during Hachiman's hospital stay but stuff about her.
"I'm asking more about your intentions." Hachiman crossed his arms, lifting his chin a bit while trying to keep his tone serious. "Because we both know that people can apologize without meaning it."
"But if I want to keep things friendly, isn't that acceptable enough?" Hoshino pursed her lips while placing a finger on her cheek. "Whether I feel like I want to be forgiven or not should be irrelevant, right?"
"Of course not." He growled, taking a step forward without meaning to.
Hoshino did not flinch or make more distance. Instead, her smile became plainer.
"Your intentions change everything. Yui-san would forgive you, obviously. But it's not that simple."
"No one would agree with you." Hoshino scoffed.
"I don't care about what people think."
"But you were worried about the others before?" Hoshino chuckled. "Which one is it, Hachiman-san?"
Instead of answering, he placed a hand on the girl's shoulders. Kind of resetting her expression into as close to a neutral one as she could get.
"Hoshino. You see how these things are different, right? The matter with Yui-san is about how people treat her. The matter with you is that your life might be at risk." Hachiman shook his head. "Those are two orders of magnitude that can't be compared with one another. Don't confuse my relationships with the way your life is threading."
"I am one of your relationships, Hachiman-san." Hoshino shrugged his hands off while sighing. "We share something special. You hold my whole life in your hands. In more ways that you understand."
The words that Hachiman wanted to say died in his throat, making him feel cold as Hoshino took his hands between hers and drove them to her left cheek. Cradling them like she was holding a puppy, or a baby.
"I…" Her skin felt so delicate to the touch, so smooth. Hachiman couldn't help coiling his fingers to brush her palms, feel the human connection that only the skin-to-skin contact could give him.
"You care about me, right? You said you wouldn't let me ruin my life. So help me out a bit." Hoshino opened her eyes, looking away from him but still holding his hands close. "I'm sorry about being caught off guard by your friend's boobies but…"
A strange noise came out from Hachiman's throat, making Hoshino stop talking and lift her head to look at him.
He pulled his hands back.
"Sorry."
"Did you just… Laugh at me?"
"I'm sorry." Hachiman repeated, feeling his face heat up.
"I'm trying to tell you something important." To her credit, Hoshino really looked taken aback by Hachiman's reaction. Not entirely angry or sad, but disappointed all the same. "This is very hard for me, y'know."
"Ah, I see. I understand." Hachiman cleared his throat. "I use irreverence to make myself more comfortable sometimes too."
"What?" Hoshino looked shocked now. "No. I'm completely serious."
"Okay, first." Hachiman closed his eyes, ordering his thoughts. "It's really rude to talk about people's bodies like that. Second, please don't call Yui-san's Yui-sans 'boobies'."
Hoshino opened her mouth to protest, but closed it when Hachiman tried to be funny about what he was saying.
"Why? What's wrong with saying 'boobies'? I know she's quite big, but boobies are boobies." Hoshino scoffed like Hachiman was the one being nonsensical.
"What are you? A literal kid? Who says 'boobies' in their twenties?"
"Now you're just being pedantic! What does it matter if I call tiddies 'boobies'?"
"That's even worse. It's just so childish I didn't think you were serious." Hachiman would've laughed if Hoshino wasn't visibly getting more uncomfortable. It just… Wasn't a topic he had touched with anyone before, much less with a girl who he had… Hugged and kissed, in inappropriate ways, before.
Ugh…
"That's…" Hoshino's whole body froze, like something had clicked in her mind and she didn't quite know how to deal with it. Blinking after a couple of seconds, her whole body language being more guarded. More idol-like. "I'm supposed to be wholesome and stuff."
Hachiman narrowed his eyes. Not because he didn't believe her, but because he knew how… Aggressive… She could be when she looked for… Physical contact…
"But you're avoiding the point! I don't want us to be in bad terms."
"What about Yui-san?" Hachiman insisted.
Hoshino moved her eyes to the left, then to the right.
"What about her?"
"See? This is why I'm telling you that your intentions matter." Hachiman motioned to point at the ground with both hands.
"No, no, no. This is between you and I. I don't care about anyone else." Hoshino insisted. "You don't even text me anymore after saying you won't abandon me."
"Didn't you say you'd take some days off? Vacation days are supposed to be all for yourself. I thought you wanted all the time without being bothered." Hachiman didn't really understand that point. He needed to recharge his social battery often, after all.
"What? You're not a bother. Why would you think that?" Hoshino's expression broke into that of a sad smile, the light in her eyes seeming to flicker as she tried to keep up with the conversation. "I need you present. As much as possible."
"That can't be true." Hachiman couldn't help denying her words out of principle.
"Why not?!"
"I'm not that important, I can't be."
"Hachiman-san, when I think of you, I think about your blood. The cuts, your motionless body." Hoshino's expression became hollow altogether. The hands that took his own a second time were now cold. "I feel like, if I take my eyes off of you, I'll be back at that door. And you're not waking up ever again. I need you to be with me; I need to feel your heat, hear your voice. Please, help me think of you as a life that has become better thanks to meeting me instead of one that was exchanged for my own."
"…"
"If you leave me, there's no one else to take your place. I cannot thank anyone else, feel like I matter as much to anyone else. No one will do so much for me without knowing who I am. Such a person does not exist in my world." Hoshino took his cheeks between her hands, making Hachiman shake them off.
"Someone will see you."
"There's less staff than usual, and Ichigo-san made sure they're all busy and out of the way." Hoshino looked at him like he was being a pain in the ass. "We can do whatever we want."
Damn it. He knew something like this would end up happening. He should've led her back inside. Say his piece and just make her talk one on one with Yui to make things right. Make it so his friends wouldn't feel like he wasn't as worried about her as they were.
The thought had crossed his mind only for a moment, however. Right now, he could only regret not making that call.
"I just want you to clear things up with Yui-san." He stated with a strangled tone, having trouble speaking. "She's the kindest person I know. If given the chance…"
"She'll probably be around from now on anyway." Hoshino sounded like she resented the fact. "I can think about that later."
"I want you to think about it now." Hachiman insisted.
Hoshino smiled solemnly in return.
"Then give me a kiss."
"That's not how it works. That's extortion." Hachiman looked away. "And I'm pretty sure I made my position clear."
"So it's not that you don't want to? It's just that you think it's not right?"
Hachiman closed his eyes, struggling to keep his breathing even.
"Is that it?" Hoshino insisted.
"…Something like that."
"Hmmm~"
Hachiman opened his eyes again.
"And you're being a terrible person right now."
"I am pretty selfish." Hoshino nodded to herself. "I want the things I want, and I don't care about anything else. And you? You're the opposite. Which confuses me so much that I feel like I'll die just thinking about it."
She took two steps back, shaking her head with some sadness in her scoff.
"Ah… It's impossible. I can't be more like you; I can't make the lie that I'm a nice girl into a reality. I'm sorry, it's just out of my league." She chuckled while shaking her head, getting her hands behind her back like she was confessing something to a camera. "I don't have it in me, so… Give me something in return. I'll pretend to be nice, which is the closest thing I can give. Let me think I'm getting what I want. And maybe I'll learn."
She looked at the floor now, her smile something distant. An afterthought.
"Sucking at something is the first step to get good at it, after all."
Hachiman stared at her. She looked smaller now, even though she'd never been tall to begin with. It just felt… Like she didn't have a thick armor around her. The "bulk" of her mannerisms had been stripped off. So what was actually beneath looked small by comparison.
"I'm not as kind as you think."
"I'm not sure about that, given how little you've taken from us." Hoshino pointed out.
"What if I'm just patient? Taking my time to take what I want?" Hachiman insisted.
"Hmmm… There's little you can take away from me that you couldn't since the start." Hoshino looked up, again placing a finger on her cheek. "Like… I only have my body right now. But, alas, I didn't bring protection today. So that's off-limits."
Hachiman let out a choked noise as Hoshino continued.
"If you're trying to sell a story out of me… You could've gone to the news at any time. Hell, with Nino-chan you'd have gotten quite some sweet deals…" She smiled awkwardly at him now. "I'm sorry! I just can't see you being that bad."
She looked away; her smile cold now.
"You're not like me, after all. That is why I feel safe trusting you."
"Not like you, huh…" His words didn't come out right. He could've said more articulate things. Make a better point. But Hoshino's line of thought caught him like a rope. Tightening around his neck and wrists, keeping him pined and at her mercy in spite of having no more physical contact.
"The opposite, really." Her eyes were brilliant again, like she was cradling the idea with some fondness. "That's why I told you before: If someone like you can join hands with someone like me… Are we not basically complete? Who can defeat a pair like that? Covering all angles, all routes and chances…"
Hoshino made a small heart symbol with her hands.
"If it's with you, I can be truly invincible. I can even challenge 'death' with a smile on my face."
Ah… Isn't that the most damning thing to be said? Having someone say "I need you" so desperately… How could Hachiman ever say no to that?
His approach was thoughtless, but with no less intent than any of the decisions he'd taken for himself.
Hoshino closed her eyes, expectant. Letting Hachiman take her cheeks between his hands and placing her own on his wrist.
Hachiman leaned down and placed his lips on the top of her head.
"…Eh?" Hoshino opened her eyes with a shiver, pulling back to look at Hachiman with confusion written all over his face.
"I did say I wouldn't leave you." He murmured. "Just… I'm sorry. I didn't understand why you were so insistent on me. I just can't see why anyone would bother that much."
Hoshino's confusion grew, but Hachiman hid her face on his chest when he enveloped her small body with his arms.
It wasn't like he didn't want to kiss her, or that he wasn't mad at her for the comment on Yui. It was just that, at this point, the baggage that Hoshino carried was clear enough in his mind that he could afford to be lenient with her a bit.
The idol shook a little in his arms, coiling her own around his back while sobbing slightly.
If there is a thing he learned from his time with the Service Club, it was that the truth without kindness was not worth having. That the part of understanding didn't just mean tearing someone's intentions apart. It meant acknowledging their humanity, that there might be little to no options to be seen from their position.
So… Even if he hated the way Hoshino lied through this whole conversation, he didn't get on her face about it. Not with her, she needed a more delicate touch. Because, like Hoshino herself pointed out, she was one of Hachiman's relationships now. Weird, complicated, but the connection existed. And so, he'd give her the same chances he gave to everyone that life had coming his way.
Hachiman woke up that day like any other. And, just like with any other, he'd choose to try to understand.