Chapter 14 : Separation

Hickey and Medea were absent from school that day.

I thought it might be a bit of a talking point, but no one seems to care too much about it. Well, that's always the case with Hickey.

I tried calling several times but couldn't get through. It seems the phone is turned off.

I wonder what happened? I wish he'd at least contact me.

That was all I could think until lunchtime.

"Yui? What's wrong? You're spacing out."

"Huh? N-no, I was just wondering what happened to Hickey..."

I was surprised when Yumiko suddenly called out to me, so I answered her without thinking.

Ugh... I'm being teased again...

That's what I thought. But...

"Hickey? Who?"

I felt a little annoyed.

I know Yumiko doesn't really like Hiki, but isn't it a bit late to say that now?

"What's wrong, Yui?"

"...Well, I thought that might be a bit harsh on my classmates."

"Huh? Did we have someone like that at home?"

"...Hey, Yumiko?"

"N-no, I'm not angry."

I couldn't help glaring at Yumiko for her absurd attitude, and she backed away, looking taken aback.

"Calm down, Yui-chan, calm down."

"but……"

Himena tried to mediate but I'm not convinced.

"Yumiko didn't mean any harm."

...That can't be true. I think it's a bit harsh to pretend you don't know something even though you've talked about it quite a bit.

"S-sorry. But it can't be helped. I don't know all of Yui's friends, after all."

He feels uneasy about Yumiko, who continues to pretend she doesn't know.

Although Yumiko can be a bit selfish, she is by no means a bad girl. I think she is actually a pure-hearted and kind girl.

Would Yumiko continue this pointless harassment even to the point of getting into a fight with me?

"So? Yui-chan, what happened with that Hiki-kun?-chan?"

…………picture?

Himena's words make my mind go blank.

"...Eh, wait a second, what are you even saying Himena?"

"What do you mean...huh? Have we met before?"

"Yes! I mean, Himena, you always say 'hayahachi' and get a nosebleed!"

"Hey, calm down Yui!"

I stood up and started to shout, but this time Yumiko stopped me. Everyone in the classroom was watching, but I couldn't stop.

"Seriously, what's wrong? Something's wrong, Yui."

"It's you two who are acting strange! Why are you doing something so strange!?"

I yelled without thinking, but the bad feeling just wouldn't go away.

"Um, sorry, Yui-chan? I'll remember it properly, so can you introduce me again next time?"

"Well, I'm sorry. Don't get so angry, okay?"

The two of them apologized to me. Then I realized.

They are both sincerely apologizing and truly feel bad about what happened.

That means it's not a joke or a prank or anything, it just means they've genuinely forgotten about Hiki.

Rattle.

I felt as if something was crumbling beneath my feet, and I stumbled.

The one who gently supported my shoulders was Hayato.

"Are you okay, Yui?"

"Hayato-kun..."

Normally I'd think that these are the reasons why someone would be popular, but I don't have that kind of luxury right now.

Instead, feeling like crying, I appeal to Hayato.

"...Yumiko and Himena are acting strange. They've forgotten about Hiki..."

Hayato looked back and forth between me and the two of us who were looking at me with worried looks, then said in a troubled tone:

"...Sorry, Yui. Who was Hickey again?"

Rattle.

I felt like something was crumbling beneath my feet.

"Hickey? Who?"

Tobe too.

"Um... sorry, I don't know."

Aya too.

"Huh...? Sorry, but I don't know anyone like that."

Junior high school students too.

Nobody remembered Hickey, or even Medea.

"teacher!"

"Hmm? Hey Yuigahama, stop running down the hallway."

"Sensei! What is the reason for Hikigaya-kun's absence today...?"

"Hikigaya?"

I asked, out of breath, running over to Hiratsuka-sensei when I saw him in the hallway.

If it was a holiday, he would have contacted the school. Hiki seems like a serious person when it comes to that sort of thing. But...

"...Uh, sorry. Which group are you from, Hikigaya?"

Rattle

"...Class F, I mean. ...What are you talking about...?"

Something

"Hmm, is that so? Sorry, but I don't know. I guess I'm not fit to be a teacher."

As afternoon classes approached and the hallways emptied, I continued to stand there.

I slowly took out my cell phone and pressed the button with trembling fingers.

After three rings the call was connected.

"Hello everyone! Hello, Yui-san! What's wrong all of a sudden?"

"...Komachi-chan, what happened to Hickey today?"

『Huh?』

Rattle

"Who was Hickey?"

Rattle

When I woke up in the nurse's office, it was almost time for school to end.

I return to the classroom, get ready, and then drag my heavy legs to club activities.

Yumiko and the others told me that I should take a rest, but that's not an option.

He puts his hand on the door to the clubroom and freezes.

Honestly, I should have checked with Yukinon first.

If Medea was resting with Hickey, then something related to the Holy Grail War must have happened.

I guess I was being naive.

Even though we may fight or have disagreements, I thought we could continue to be together like this forever.

What if.

What if even Yukinon had forgotten about Hiki?

I'm sure I'll go crazy.

I was so scared of that that I had been avoiding contact with Yukinon. And now, I was hesitant to enter the clubroom.

Take several deep breaths, stretch your hands out and then pull them back repeatedly.

So how much time had passed?

Suddenly, a voice called from the other side of the door.

"...How long are you going to keep doing this?"

At the same time, the door opens with a boom.

"Shut up... Be quieter when you open it."

There was the face I had wanted to see all day, the person I was dying to meet.

"Yo, Yuigahama."

"...Hikki..."

"Don't just stand there, come in. It's cold. Oh no!?"

I jumped into Hickey's arms.

It's not a dream. It's not an illusion. He's right here with me...!

Hickey gently stroked my head as I clung to him, crying.

"...Taku, calm down."

"Because... everyone had forgotten about Hikigaya... I was scared that he'd disappear..."

"...Well, your second year of high school is almost over, so what's the point of 'that'?"

"It's fine, nothing. I mean, it's all Hickey's fault..."

"Is this my fault? I mean, Yuigahama, it's, it's about time…"

Hiki mumbles something as if he's having trouble saying it. What's wrong?

While I looked confused, Hikigaya's face turned red, he looked away and spoke.

"...Um, well, if you don't leave soon, it'll cause a lot of trouble..."

"fart?"

When I heard that, I realized the situation I was in. I'm hugging Hiki right now!?

"Ahhhh!?"

"Whoa?!"

He instinctively pushed him away, causing Hickey to lose his balance and fall backwards, hitting his head.

"...Uh...Guuuuhh...!"

"S-s-sorry! Are you okay?!"

"You... this is no joke...!"

I hurriedly tried to help him up, but he just glared at me with teary eyes.

And then I finally realized.

Hickey wasn't in uniform.

And Yukinon was sleeping, leaning back in the chair behind Hikki.

Hickey's mood changes.

Hickey stood up and took one step, then two steps back, as if to put some distance between him and me.

I... I couldn't step in.

"Hikki, what happened today?"

"There's something I need to do."

"It was hard, you know? Everyone forgot about Hickey."

"Yeah, I know."

"I know..."

"Because I made the media do it."

…I thought so. I somehow had a feeling that was the case.

"Why do you do that? Are we really that much of a nuisance to you hikikomori?"

That's not true. Although Hiki complains, he actually cares about the people around him.

I'm sure Hikigaya made the decision after much deliberation.

But I deliberately asked him in a way that would embarrass him.

I knew that it would be very difficult for Hiki to be honest or to be cold and distant.

I know there's probably nothing else I can do, but I don't want to admit it.

Hickey smiled sadly but gently at me for being so mean.

"... Another Master has found me. I can't continue on the same path as before."

"Why? Everyone will help you. You might not believe it, Hikki, but there are a lot of people who are grateful to you. I can't do anything, but Yukinon and Hayato-kun--"

"...If they were just the Yakuza, I could have relied on them. Unfortunately, they're not on that level."

"But... because..."

Before I knew it, tears were flowing.

I knew it.

Hickey is already different from the person he was when we met again in the spring.

His perverse behavior and penchant for solitude remain unchanged.

Still, he was able to accept others and forgive "everyone."

I was able to rely on someone.

Based on that, I decided that I couldn't rely on anyone.

Hiki's thinking was always wrong, but his judgment was always right. So this time too, Hiki must be right. But...

"No way..."

I plead, forgetting to wipe away my tears.

"I don't want to forget about Hickey...!"

Even though I knew it would only cause trouble, I couldn't help but say it.

Hickey is...

"...Sorry, Yuigahama."

But he said it with a painful look on his face.

"...Hikki, tell me one thing."

"What?"

"Hikki is trying to stay away from everyone so he doesn't get anyone involved, right?"

"ah"

"Then why is it only me and Yukino who are doing all this elaborate stuff?"

The reason Hickey erased everyone's memories was because he was afraid that other Masters would target them because they were his acquaintances. It may also have been to prevent his acquaintances from leaking information about him.

But if that was all, then you should have just erased my memories and Yukinon's too.

And yet, even though Hickey erased everyone's memories, he kept our memories.

I want to know why.

Hickey looked taken aback by my question and spoke awkwardly.

"...Just being selfish."

"...I don't understand. Please answer me properly."

"that's why……!"

Hickey yelled and chewed his mouth, then began to scratch his head violently while groaning, "Uuh!"

What happened?

"...You guys, you know."

Hickey suddenly stopped moving and began speaking.

"You guys are special to me."

"……fart?"

"So I wanted to say hello properly."

He said this with a sullen face and a bright red face.

I――I couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Phew -- what's that?"

"Shut up, leave me alone."

Hickey approaches, pouting.

"--Can we meet again?"

"Of course. It's not like I'm going there to die or anything."

"Really?"

"Yeah. To begin with, this spell will automatically be undone if you see my face. That's why I have to leave before Yukinoshita wakes up."

"If you lie, I'll tell Komachi-chan."

"That's why I'm fine. This is just to be on the safe side... so please spare me, Komachi."

"No way. If you don't want Komachi to dislike you, make sure you come back."

"Hey hey, I get it. Ah, I thought I could finally go back to being alone."

"...Hey, Hickey."

"yeah?"

"I love you."

"...Yuigahama-san, Yuigahama-san, wake up."

"...Huh?"

When I opened my eyes, Yukinon was looking at me with a shocked look on her face.

"Even though the heating is on, you'll catch a cold if you sleep out here."

"Ah, what?"

I looked around restlessly. It was the usual club room.

Apparently I fell asleep without realizing it.

"S-sorry Yukinon!"

"You don't have to apologize, just do something about the drool stains."

"Huh? Wow, wait a second!"

Seeing me frantically scrubbing my face, Yukinon bursts out in laughter. It's a common sight.

But why do I still feel somehow dissatisfied?

"...Hey Yukinon. There are only two of us in the Service Club, right?"

"...Yes, that's right."

"...Right."

First there was Yukinon.

I brought in the request.

Then I joined the club.

That's it. There are no other members.

But what is this feeling of loss?

"...Yuigahama-san. Do you also feel something strange?"

"...Hey, Yukinon too?"

"Yes… I couldn't calm down, and when I was walking around the clubroom before Yuigahama-san woke up, I noticed this in my pocket."

"What is this?"

"It's an IC recorder."

"...Why do you have something like that?"

"I don't understand. So, it looks like there's some data in there, do you want to listen to it with me?"

Curiosity got the better of me, so I listened in, and the voices I heard were mine, Yukinon's, and a boy I didn't recognize.

"...I wonder what this is."

Yukinon muttered softly.

On the recorder, first Yukinon and then me are having a dramatic conversation with a boy I don't know.

But I have no recollection of having recorded anything like this. Yukinon doesn't seem to know either.

I don't recognize the boy's voice, which is creepy.

The content of the conversation also matters.

It's like Yukinon and I are, well, like that with the same boy... I even said I love him...

"Uhh... Should I stop now?"

"Wait, there's something else."

This time it was a boy's voice and another unfamiliar girl's voice.

"Are you sure?"

"...There's no way it's okay. That's why you've been forcing yourself to hang on until now."

"Where to?"

"Of course, it's the finishing touches. If you've finished that too, help me out."

"I got it"

"...Geez, this is so annoying. Just hurry up and finish this and go home."

That was the end.

"...Really, what is it?"

It certainly doesn't make sense.

"Based on what you said, it seems like this boy, Hikigaya-kun, is trying to go somewhere, and we're trying to stop him... but..."

Yeah, that's definitely what it felt like, but I still don't remember it.

"But you know, this Hickey guy..."

Also, I remember having a slightly different impression of her than I did of Yukinon.

"It seems like you really care about the Service Club."

Even though Yukinon and I desperately try to stop him, he tries to go off somewhere, but in the end he says "I'm going home."

It means that this person thinks this is their place.

For some reason, that made me very happy.

"...Yuigahama-san, are you okay?"

"What?"

"You're crying, you know?"

"fart?"

I touched my eyes with my hand and they were definitely wet.

Oh, what's this?

No matter how much I wipe them away, the tears just keep overflowing.

"Hey Yuigahama-san, are you sure you're okay?"

"Y-yes, probably. I mean, Yukinon was crying too."

"picture?"

Yukinon touches her cheek in surprise. Just like me, she didn't notice until I told her.

"Wh-what is this? Why..."

"I don't know, it's crazy, I can't stop..."

The tears continued to flow endlessly.

We are.

Not knowing why, I continued crying until it was time to go home from school.