Too bad FF doesn't have a slow burn tag, it'd give people the warning they need to go through the story. Oh, well. It's not like it's a secret that Ai's pretty screwed up due to her... Everything really. So putting the two of them on similar ground is imperative to make this work, at least in my head. If someone has a different idea... Hey, I'd love to read it. I'm just a fan, after all.

Why is it that problems always come back to bite him in the ass? Why does it feel like things don't change, that they don't get better? It's like last time too. Miura, Ebina, Zaimokuza. Even Hiratsuka glanced at him from time to time. Hoping, waiting. It felt like he'd gone through this before. Just, perhaps, not in the same way.

It wasn't like it felt like their stares judged him, far from it. He could feel them for what they were: Hoping that he'd reach out first. That he'd speak up. It's something that he had always struggled with, something that he thought he could put behind with at least Yukino and Yui. But it's always the same, isn't it? They always struggled with things like these.

Even back then…

"What…?" Back then, Yukino hadn't known. She hadn't even been notified that Yui had reached out to him, that she'd gone to his house, that she'd tried to take even a little bit of happiness for herself. But Yukino deserved to know, if only because the context mattered too much to be left unsaid. "Just like that?"

"He was heading to an interview." Hachiman hadn't looked at Yukino in the eyes back then. It felt wrong, because he was telling her just to save his own neck. To feel like he was doing things right. It hadn't been his place to tell her.

Yukino hadn't known how to react, of course. Things had been awkward already, difficult. Hachiman himself had had trouble processing things, and even now he couldn't help feeling sorry for Yui. He couldn't help seeing her as the victim, as someone to whom bad things had happened. And, as such, he felt the need to protect her.

But what happens when life goes on? When there's no culprits, no reason to things other than a bad move? A bad draw of the cards? Who do you protect people from? Happenstance? Themselves? How is that different from burdening them even further?

"…Why?" Yukino had asked, and the sheer disbelief in her face and voice made Hachiman feel even worse.

"These things ha pp…"

"Why didn't she tell me?" Yukino lowered her gaze, now looking so helpless that it blanked out Hachiman's face.

He could've told Yukino, he could've said that Yui tried to seduce him. To kiss him, rather. Because he couldn't call her clumsy, desperate move seduction and keep a clear mind at the same time. Not while all of this was happening.

"Give her time. She's… Probably confused." Hachiman had scratched the back of his head then, looking for the right words to say. "She has enough on her plate as-is."

"You're… You're probably right…" Yukino had intertwined her fingers, a myriad of thoughts crossing her mind so fast that it looked like her features were shivering. "I guess I should call her?"

Hachiman thought it was a bad idea. Yui had left startled, confused, regretful. She probably needed time, at least to process what she'd tried to do. What Hachiman tried to offer her in his soft rejection, in his advice to not be hasty. He could've told Yukino he thought she shouldn't, but that'd mean explaining why. Or at least, that's what Hachiman's guilty conscience said.

He did not speak up.

"If that's the case, maybe I…"

"I should leave." Yukino sounded hurt, almost like she'd gotten physically hit by the news. "Her dad is dead and we're here, spending time together like it's nothing."

No. That's not… That isn't what she should be getting out of this, right?

"Adjusting to not having an income has taken a toll on her already." Hachiman argued, his voice small. Breathless. "And we've been there for her. But that doesn't mean we can't…"

"We should focus on her well-being." Yukino had stated this with the most conviction he'd heard her use in a bit. In retrospect, this should've been a hint. A warning sign. But to the Hachiman of back then, it was only a reminder of how strong Yukino could be.

Of how strong she appeared to him. One of the things he both admired and most often was fooled by in her. A front he'd fallen for enough times to know better, but one that she'd worked on to make into a reality enough that he believed her all the same.

"That's… Probably right." He should've known better. He should've told her to wait, to let Yui do things at her own pace. He shouldn't have done things halfway… What did Miura say before Saitou called? That not going all-in on things is pointless?

He now wished that the Hachiman from back then could've heard these words.

He couldn't concentrate. Again, the eyes on him were a little too much. And, like Hiratsuka said, drinking both a sugary coffee and beer at the same time had… Not been particularly smart of him. It only made his heart beat really fast while his mind stopped encompassing as much stuff as it did. Or, in other words, his attention was smaller and could only concentrate in the fact that he was not concentrating at all.

He got some water, but that just made it more apparent that he was being checked on when he sat back down. Still, he played dumb for a bit more. At least while his own dumb decisions were processed by his body enough that he wouldn't feel sick while he talked.

"Zaimokuza."

"Yeah?"

"Are you in any B-Komachi fan groups?" The question raised a lot of suspicion, especially from Hiratsuka. Who understood the least about what was going on. "Any Chiba groups, that is."

"Mmm, yeah. A couple." The guy with glasses took his phone and fiddled with it a bit. "Why?"

He could almost feel the expectations growing in the room. Silently, but present all the same.

"One of the girls is missing."

"WHAT?!" Zaimokuza's screech made Hachiman a bit dizzy. It made the girls flinch as he stood up abruptly, making Hachiman regret his choices thus far. "Whu…?"

"Calm down!" Hiratsuka smashed the side of her left fist on the table, making the stuff on it jump a tiny bit. "Jeez!"

"Sorry…" Zaimokuza plopped back to his chair. "It's just… Hachiman-sama. Do you understand what you're saying?"

Hachiman tilted his head, feeling incredibly tired already. Because he knew that he couldn't just ask for help in this without giving any sort of explanation.

"Their… Manager, I guess…" He frowned a bit. Realizing he didn't actually know Saitou's position in the company, or the work relationship between her and the idols. "Called. I think it's Nino?"

"Nino-chan is missing?!" Zaimokuza was about to stand up again, but Hiratsuka jabbed a finger in his direction. Sending a very clear unspoken threat which kept the guy with glasses pinned to his spot.

"Maybe."

"Okay. Hold on, stop." Miura put her pen down, setting her elbows on the table and intertwining her fingers like she'd ask Hachiman to pilot a giant biomechanical robot. "We have a problem here, don't we? And I'm not talking about whatever you're talking about yourself."

Hachiman sighed, pushing himself back on his seat like the backrest would give him some emotional support. So much so that the front legs of the chair left the floor as he tilted it back a bit.

"This can get me in trouble." Hachiman started, eyeing his former teacher to gauge her reaction. Which was that of an unimpressed adult, even if she remained quiet and in a very 'I am waiting' position. Like a mom letting her kid try to make excuses before showing how mad she was. "As in honest, legal trouble."

"They made you sign your silence?" Ebina actually looked worried for once. And not in the 'I hope you're okay' way, Hachiman had seen plenty of that. But more in a 'holy shit, someone help this dude' way.

"No… Although I think mom did sign something." Hachiman mused, buying himself some time to put his words in order before he could mess up even more. "It's just a very delicate topic."

"I mean, yeah. No kidding." Ebina crossed her arms, nodding along and getting some of the heat off of Hachiman's shoulders. "Idols are a delicate topic. Look at Yoshi-dono here. He was gonna blow up just because of what you said."

"I wasn't gonna "blow up", it's just shocking to hear something that important from him." Zaimokuza fixed his glasses, getting them to glint a bit "As a fan…"

"And he's somewhat normal." Ebina interrupted him.

"No. I am a hardcore fan!" Zaimokuza pointed a finger at the girl with glasses before suddenly stopping his own hype. "With all the respect and appreciation that entails, of course."

Hachiman actually narrowed his eyes at his antics, looking at Ebina for answers now that he also felt like he was missing some context. It was strange for him to stop his antics, whatever they were about. And the way Ebina avoided his gaze told him that she knew something that he didn't, although he couldn't put his finger on what.

We can talk it out. Hadn't Ebina said something along those lines in the concert? Was that it?

"Point is: I kind of get it. Knowing Hikigaya makes it sort of obvious." Ebina got back to the topic tapping a finger on the opposite arm. "But it might not make sense to Yumi-chan or Hiratsuka-san."

That made the most adult of the people in the room glare at Ebina.

"What do you mean?"

Ebina sighed, not looking intimidated by Hiratsuka's glare at all.

"Yoshi-dono?"

"Ah, well. Idol culture is… Very strict." Zaimokuza put his hands together like he was some kind of guru talking about his specialty "They're… How do I say it? Public figures plus, I guess. And their private lives are very monitored."

"Wait…" Hiratsuka narrowed her eyes, looking at Hachiman and Zaimokuza a couple of times each "Who are you talking about again?"

"B-Komachi." Zaimokuza chose his words with more care than usual. "You know? Ai-chan's group."

Hachiman closed his eyes, bearing for impact.

It took Hiratsuka a few seconds to connect the dots. But Hachiman knew immediately because she left her spot and grabbed him by the shirt.

"You! You were there!" Hiratsuka's face was a mess of rage and worry, looking Hachiman's face from side to side like she was looking for any injury "Accident my ass! You got injured the day you went to look out for Yukino!"

"I'm sorry." Hachiman looked away, half pained by the loudness of the woman's voice and half pained by the way she was reacting "I didn't want you to feel bad."

"Feel bad? Feel bad?!" Hiratsuka actually took a moment to gather her thoughts, releasing Hachiman and dropping to her seat. Her arms went to her head, and she actually looked a bit lost for a moment. Then, as sudden as her turmoil appeared, it was reigned in with a deep intake of air. "I'm the one that gave you that address…"

Hachiman looked away.

"If I had known…"

"There was no way you'd know." Hachiman assured her in a low tone.

"I trusted Haruno." Hiratsuka sounded out of air now. "I thought it'd be good for you if…"

"Oh, well. That's actually a dumb mistake to make…"

Hiratsuka sent a glare his way, but Hachiman played dumb. It actually helped the woman a little. But Hachiman was preoccupied looking at the final member of the table.

"You told her something different to us." Miura stated. Not mad, not disappointed. Simply pointing a fact out.

"I'm risking someone else's life." Hachiman held her stare, doing his best not to flinch away from it. "It's not just about me."

"Sure sounds like it's not all flowers and rainbows." The blonde narrowed her eyes. "It's almost like you got entangled into something bad for all your troubles."

"Can you… Not say that?" Hiratsuka reached out with a hand, physically willing Miura to stop. "Not now. Please."

Hachiman gave them both some time.

"Well?" He returned his attention to Zaimokuza. "Their manager thought she might be coming here, given what happened in the meet and greet. Their poor communication might make things worse for… All of us."

He shook his head, making a point of showing his displeasure with the situation.

"I'd have never thought B-Komachi was in the clutches of a black company…" Ebina looked rather displeased with this.

"I mean, I can ask…" Zaimokuza concentrated in his phone a lot more, almost like he was doing something actually important. "But isn't asking if someone has seen her also bad? What if people try to corner her or something? Ai-chan's case might not be as fresh now, but it still set a precedent."

"Don't speak about that kind of creep like it's going to become the norm." Miura's disgust oozed out of her body language and tone like she could physically will it into existence.

"I… Don't think asking is a bad idea?" Ebina tilted her head, puckering her lips to balance her pen above them. "Just make it a half-hearted joke. Something like "hey, I saw someone like Nino-chan today at the station! Anyone else?" or something."

"Okay, but is communication within that company bad enough that they'd try to find you?" Hiratsuka asked while fondling her whole face. With her voice a tad higher pitched than usual.

Hachiman thought about how freaky Hoshino's stage-face was when compared to her reserved, boring private self.

"I can believe it."

"Ok. But why?" Hiratsuka looked at Hachiman like she'd just come back from getting low blood pressure. Sort of groggy, sort of not wholly in the here and now.

"I… I've exchanged messages with… Ai-san." Hachiman glared at Zaimokuza, who had his eyes fixed on him when that name came up. They held each other's eyes in a contest of wills, so Hachiman was forced to talk while looking at the glasses-wearing guy. "Both for our peace of mind. It's… I don't think they understand their girls that well."

"Really? Did "Ai-chan" tell you that?" Miura tilted her head, her features hard but not angry. Like she was holding herself back. Reigning her emotions in.

This would get ugly really fast if Hachiman didn't put in the right words.

He wasn't meant to put in the right words.

"That's my read, at least." Even though he wanted nothing more than to make excuses, Hachiman tried to keep his words and breathing in check. Slow and steady, he answered in a way that made it clear that he wasn't playing around. That he wasn't trying to dodge the question even if the choice of words sounded strange.

"From interacting with someone whose whole deal is to sell an innocent and marketable image." Miura kept her own tone in check, visibly getting angry but still not letting it off. Holding it back.

"Umm, I like that image." Zaimokuza interjected.

"I don't-!" Miura shut her mouth, taking a lungful of air before speaking again. "That's besides the point at the moment."

"Nah. It's not besides the point." Ebina made circles with her index finger, catching Miura's attention with the motion. "There's a target audience, so there's a market for it. Like pro-wrestlers, like pros in any sports. You, more than anyone, should know how much there is to these things."

Miura pressed her lips tightly.

"I'm just starting to catch the fact that there's a pattern here, isn't there? A girl blown out of proportion comes in, sweeps Hikio off the floor and…"

"Wow, wow, wow!" Hiratsuka put a hand down on the table. "Stop right there, pro player-chan. Have some faith in Hikigaya, will you?"

Hachiman pressed his eyelids close, hiding part of his face while the muscles in it felt so tense that he might've permanently mess up his already uninviting neutral expression even more.

"Do you really think I'd be… Y'know?"

Miura at least had the decency of looking uncomfortable when she spoke next.

"…I know that a nice smile and a good face make people stupid."

"…" Hachiman wanted to retort, really badly. He had something extremely sarcastic, very biting at the tip of his tongue. Begging to be freed.

He switched mental gears instead.

"…I don't think she's on Yukino's level though." He balled his hands, hard, while speaking. It killed him a little to admit it, but there was no going around the topic. He could only hope that they'd meet him half-way in this. That they'd get the hint and move on.

"I, err, there were also no shortage of cute girls at school either." Zaimokuza might've chosen the weirdest way to move on, more so given that there were two girls and two dudes, but he didn't shrink when the eyes were drawn to him. "Right?"

"Eh, true enough." Ebina nodded sagely. "We were blessed with pretty cute girls in our generation, right? Hiratsuka-san?"

"Call me stupid, but I'm not answering that." The oldest of the group rested more comfortably on her seat.

She did something else, but Hachiman didn't catch it. As he was still holding Miura's gaze.

One second, two seconds, three seconds, four seconds, five…

Miura put an elbow on the table and rested her cheek on the same hand.

"You don't, do you?" She scoffed in the same way she used to do in high school, when she found the shenanigans of her group actually endearing. "I see, I get that too."

She looked away first, giving Hachiman the confidence to breath normally again. It was kind of uncomfortable, but Hachiman powered through it. Giving his former teacher a small smile.

"Thanks."

"I said it more for my own benefit than yours." Her expression still contained some pain in it. And she seemed to find it hard to hold his gaze now as well.

"It's… Fine."

"No, it's not." Hiratsuka looked away. "It'll never be fine."

Hachiman touched his stomach.

"Guess we'll both have to carry the weight, then."

"Don't make this weird, Hikigaya. I'm serious." Hiratsuka complained, her eye twitching while she gave Hachiman a side glance.

"Eh?"

"Not thinking it, not thinking it, not thinking it…" Ebina interrupted, covering her eyes while mumbling to herself.

"You do realize that's where the scars are, yes?" Hachiman hissed, actually pissed off again.

"Sorry. Brainrot. I'm trying to be serious." Ebina replied but refused to uncover her face.

Hachiman didn't want to accept her words, but he had no choice but to roll his eyes and move on. There were, after all, more pressing matters than Ebina's creepy train of thought.

"Okay. So, we're on the same page?"

"Unfortunately…" Hiratsuka scratched her head.

"I guess…" Miura shrugged.

"Good. I don't think a single girl could actually come all the way here and find me, but knowing my luck…"

"I mean, if she knows your name she can do some quick research." Hiratsuka pointed out. "I don't think you're the kind to broadcast where you are on social media, but aren't they trained in how to navigate it to avoid…"

The doorbell rang, making everyone freeze.

Zaimokuza was the only one that was excited.

"No way." Miura's usual aloofness had been broken yet again. And instead she sounded just as startled as everyone else looked, with her expression slowly unscrewing from a frown into wide-eyed shock. "There's no way, right? That'd be too convenient."

Hachiman gulped, but he'd been doing awkward things since he talked about it. So he got to his feet, prompting Hiratsuka to rush to his side and grab him by the shoulder.

"Let me get this."

"But if it has to do with…"

"It's my house." She reiterated.

Hachiman looked away.

"Fine."

His former teacher fixed her clothes a bit and went to open the door, leaving everyone else frozen in silence as they heard her speak to the person on the other side.

"Ah…" Hiratsuka's voice made Hachiman stop being so tense, at least a little. If it was someone she recognized, then it shouldn't be…

Komachi entered with a red spot on her face.

"…?" Hachiman didn't know how to react, so he didn't at all. He just looked at his sister, who'd peered into the room in somber silence but didn't actually enter it. More annoyed than scared or worried.

"Komachi-chan…?" Ebina mumbled, just as confused as Hachiman was.

"I…" She took a lungful of air, staring at Zaimokuza for a moment.

"First aid." Hachiman snapped out of his confusion. "Sensei, I need a first aid kit. Now."

The woman scoffed at him.

"First aid? Really?"

"You're right. I should get her to the hospital." Hachiman nodded at his former teacher. "The car, I need…"

"Kid, calm down. She's fine, see?" Hiratsuka patted Komachi, getting no reaction other than a small grumble.

"I'm fine. Hiratsuka-san's lessons were helpful." Komachi stepped forward, making Hachiman stop in his own approach as the younger Hikigaya dragged someone along.

She was dressed in sport clothes. Dark, unassuming. Except that she, too, had some rough spots on her face. And her brown hair was messy in a way only long hair can be after being put through a lot of movement. She looked scared, kind of like a deer, but that only made Hachiman glare at her even more.

"You." Hachiman's voice became more of a growl compared to normal, and only Hiratsuka stepping between the two prevented him from grabbing the girl and shaking her for answers.

B-Komachi's member number ?: Nino-chan.

"I…" The girl desperately tried to pull back, but Hiratsuka put her hand on the girl's shoulder. Locking her in place even harder than Komachi's grip had. "…This isn't what it looks like."