[followed the instructions]
[it still broke]
[You probably cut too much of the bread and moving it made the weight of the eggs tear it apart. Don't just leave the literal brown edge, it has to hold the eggs while it cooks.]
[eh]
[it looks aight]
[ish]
[As long as it's not over or undercooked, it should be alright for a first attempt.]
[ye not too shabby]
[might wanna try again tho]
[Don't just waste ingredients trying to get it right. It's really just scrambled eggs inside a slice of bread, it might look fancy but that's all. As long as it tastes good, it should do even if it didn't stay intact.]
[fine]
[what about the bacon?]
[Wrap the ham in napkins and cover them with something. Get it on the microwave and give it about a minute and a half. If it isn't cooked properly, give it 10 more seconds. Repeat until it's done.]
[dunno]
[dont think itll be the same]
[If you have bacon, then do that instead. The microwave will make it sweat the grease either way, except ham has a lot less and the napkin shouldn't stick to it too much.]
[u sure?]
[I mean, it tastes the same to me. But if you really want to, use bacon. The process is the same and you won't have to fight your oven or make a mess of your kitchen. The microwave might need some cleaning afterward though. And there's a high likelihood of it being crunchy as hell.]
[hhhmmmmm]
[worth a shot i guess]
[You'll have to see how you prefer it, but you should be able to get away with microwaving different pieces to see the results.]
[ye thats what i was thinkin]
[Don't worry too much about it, bacon is good no matter how you make it. Unless you don't like it to begin with, or it's completely burnt. It'll be fine.]
[guess so]
[when can i try ur cooking]
[I'm not that good in the kitchen. I do alright, but that's about it. You'd probably be disappointed.]
[thats for me to decide]
[so?]
[Eh… So it's decided already that it'll happen?]
[ye]
[Well, not soon. That's for sure. I'll burn a permission for Yui-san's party, after all.]
[arent u like 40 or smth]
[Living with my parents isn't all fun and games. They'd usually be less of a pain in the ass whenever I go out. But, well, things changed a bit a few months back.]
[oh]
[srry]
[It's okay, it's not your fault. As in, please don't take the blame for the things that others do. Their problems are not something that you should be responsible for, especially when they're clearly in the wrong.]
[thats not rlly what i wanted to hear]
[It's always hard, considering how much one can impact people's lives. And I have the feeling that being famous makes it thrice as true. But, in the end, everyone is responsible for their own lives. Thinking things like "what did I do wrong?" or "why is this happening to me?" only really apply in a day-to-day context. If someone comes at you with the clear intention to harm you, you should defend yourself.]
[what if idid smth bad to them tho]
[what then]
[I mean, I understand things are tough at work. But even then, your co-stars are not starving. They have work, each other, and I don't think you're bullying them or pressuring them into anything. And, even THEN, there's such a thing as being too extreme. Please understand scale matters here.]
[what]
[Sorry, I was using your group's problems as an example. It's not like I know what happens behind closed doors or anything, but if they did something to you that might put some perspective on what I'm trying to say.]
[they dont]
[not for a while at least]
[I see, I'm glad. But it gives you a sense of scale, doesn't it?]
[guess so…]
[Regardless, that's how things are. Kind of surprised you didn't know we'd have a party for Yui-san. I'd have thought she'd have made friends with everyone at this point.]
[eh dont rlly talk that much cuz we have less time in the office than before]
[shes not with us most of the time either]
[I see, makes sense.]
[wont u invite me?]
[Not my call to make, sorry. It was a group decision to celebrate Yui-san's freedom from retail. Which I'm thankful for, don't get me wrong. But it's still not my place.]
[no its ok i get it]
[I'll make time for you, ok? It simply doesn't work out well this one time.]
[just u n me?]
[Sure, if that's what you want.]
[yes!]
[enjoy ur party!]
[Thanks, I'll try.]
[dont miss me 2 much~]
[I'll also try.]
Making sure he had the right place made Hachiman a little dumb, given there were not that many places of this kind around. But he still did, giving his messages one last look just to make sure no one needed his attention at the moment.
It wouldn't do to reply in front of everyone. It'd bring up questions, no doubt. And, considering the kind of company he had, he'd rather avoid that at all cost.
Being around so many girls might've been daunting once upon a time. Or maybe it was more accurate to say that not too long ago, Hachiman would've found the idea of being surrounded by so many people (let alone most of them being girls, really) would've felt like a daunting prospect. Even when he'd gone to Hoshino's concert, Hachiman still felt a tiny pang in his stomach going out and meeting with the group and finding them already talking among themselves.
He had to remind himself that he belonged there and, most importantly, he was expected to be present. The people already present wanted him to attend. A life spent as a loner was something that hardly would be shaken off in a handful of years, considering how long Hachiman spent all by himself. So he didn't feel ashamed to hesitate for a moment, take a deep breath, and put up an uninterested façade when he approached them enough to be noticed.
"Ah, Hikigaya-sama!" Ebina waved at him, breaking the conversation that Miura and Yui were having. "You finally made it!"
"Hey." Hachiman nodded to her, quickly checking the table to see what to expect of them. There were juices, a couple of beers, and some snacks. With no waiters in sight even though the bar wasn't that crowded yet.
He wasn't that late, apparently.
"Hey yourself." Kawasaki, whom Hachiman was actually surprised to see, pushed her chair back and tapped Zaimokuza on the shoulder to do the same. Making some room for Hachiman while he brought a chair for himself. "You actually showed up."
Come to think of it, was she the only one that hadn't met Hoshino yet? Huh.
"That's my line." Hachiman sat down while making a point of showing a bit of surprise on his face. Moving away from his thoughts. "You didn't get fired, did you?"
Kawasaki rolled her eyes.
"I got permission. I'm very professional, unlike someone I know." Her tone was deferential, almost friendly. And she was apparently more focused on examining Hachiman than in trying to get under his skin, so it felt safe to treat it as friendly banter.
"That's why I don't have a job." Hachiman shrugged, giving his attention to the rest of the table. Contrary to what Hoshino might think, he really wasn't cut for willingly submitting himself to labor that he didn't need to go through. "Sorry for the wait."
"Do not worry, my partner! I'm sure the matters you had to attend to were of utmost importance!" Zaimokuza nodded to himself once he repositioned; sitting closer to Saika. Seat that Hachiman would fight the guy for, but knew better than to bring it up. As that'd upset Saika himself, and Hachiman would rather be seen with disgust by the whole table than that.
"Everything alright?" The angel asked shyly, making Hachiman's heart skip a beat. Forcing him to physically restrain himself from going into a tirade to reassure him.
"Yeah, just had to do something with Komachi." He turned his face toward the girl sitting opposite to him, toward Yui who had her attention on him while he procured a small box wrapped in a ribbon. "Here."
"Eh…? Really?" The pink-haired girl watched with curiosity as Hachiman passed it to Kawasaki, then she to Ebina, then to Miura, and finally to Yui herself.
"Oho?" Zaimokuza fixed his glasses while Saika gave Hachiman a pleasantly surprised expression, mouth agape and eyes shining. Which almost made him miss Yui's own silent surprise while she got out a small cupcake.
"I didn't know what to get you, so Komachi suggested something tasty." Hachiman scratched the back of his head, trying to remember the things he wanted to say. But finding his mind completely blank while Kawasaki nodded approvingly and Miura shook her head with a smug grin. "So, huh. Congrats on your 'promotion', I guess."
"Thanks! I think we can't bring food inside though!" Yui quickly looked around, watching out for any waiter before stuffing her face with the thing. Making Miura cry out a bit as she moved aside while Yui ate. "Tasty!"
"You could've put it away!" Miura protested, trying to get her phone in position to take a picture. "Gah! Hikio! You should've told me!"
Hmm, she kind of looked like a mom trying to capture her child doing cute things…
"Get her, get her!" Ebina cheered, lifting her beer while Saika chuckled.
Kawasaki elbowed him in her attempt to also take a picture, to no avail.
"Ahaha… She got away with it!" Saika put his hands together when Yui lifted her face, showing a bit of confectionary cream on her nose and chewing like she was a small rodent.
"Shhh gut…" She gave him both thumbs up, making Hachiman smile silently. "Sanks, Hikki! You didn't have to!"
"If you hadn't mentioned Komachi-chan, I'd even have called this smooth." Kawasaki commented, nodding to herself while Saika offered Yui a napkin.
"Nah, little sis deserves her share of credit." Ebina smirked, sharing a complicit look with Zaimokuza.
"Indeed, indeed. She's not coming?"
"She has her own friends." Hachiman shrugged.
"Yes, it'd be a bit weird if she was surrounded by us." Kawasaki nodded.
"Talking from experience?" Hachiman gave her a look.
"Not really, I've been busy. I don't think I've seen any of my siblings' friends in a while."
"Sounds tough." Hachiman pressed his lips together. "If you—"
"Spare me the pity, Hikigaya. I'm good." Kawasaki looked at him with enough seriousness that he backed off, not even bothering to make a joke about how scary she looked.
"Alright then." Not like he wanted to be indebted to the Saitou couple anyway. Not even indirectly, through trying his luck with asking Hoshino.
That'd actually be a dick move, huh. Asking for favor in another girl's stead…
"You, however, have been through the grinder I've heard." She moved her fingers, making Hachiman look at his hands and the small bumps that the birds' pecks had left behind.
"Yeah…" Hachiman didn't really know what to say. His thoughts weren't helping, and he honestly did not remember how much Kawasaki knew at this point.
"Honesty… What are we gonna do with you?" She shook her head like a disappointed older sister. Which she was, just not his sister. Thankfully, he didn't want to share blood with that little pest she called a little brother.
"That's what we've been saying." Miura joined in while Yui lowered herself to hide a bit under the table when a waiter walked by. "This guy has, like, zero self-preservation instincts."
Hey, what the hell? They should've seen what he had been trying to do all this time. If they really thought he was reckless, then they didn't even know what an actually reckless person looked like.
"I'm not a flightless bird in danger of going extinct." Hachiman growled. "It's been a rough life recently, that's it."
"Sure, whatever." Miura scoffed before calling for a waiter and pointing at Hachiman.
He didn't even bother looking at the menu.
"Give me what she's having." He told the guy, giving Miura a look.
"Oh? You're not drinking?"
"Only if you drink." He mimicked the way she often talked when asked this question. And Ebina hung her head back with a cackle.
"I don't, I'm an athlete actually." She used the very same tone. Making the group shift and try to hide their reactions. Knowing full well she'd ended up completely plastered almost every single time she'd said that.
"Then there we go; I'll follow you one on one." Like hell he would. But he still said that to continue being annoying.
"Eh… I don't know about that one, chief." Ebina chimed in while the waiter took the hint that they'd not order anything else. "Sounds like you won't go back home if you do."
"Oh, please!" Miura's reaction made Hachiman grin.
"This is… Ummm, very cozy." Yui commented, making the others refrain from adding fuel to the fire. But not really creating an awkward moment.
The silence felt pleasant, like the warmth left behind by a hot drink during a very cold night.
"We missed you too, Yuiyui." Ebina reached out, placing her hand on the table when she realized she wouldn't be able to reach the pink-haired girl. "Glad to have you back."
"How is it going?" Saika added, placing his elbows on the table and holding his head with his hands like that. "Is it tough to work with celebrities?"
Oh, if only he knew… No, that'd probably be too much darkness for such a pure creature! Ah, what to do? Hachiman would have to protect him no matter what, huh.
"Well, I don't really do that… But it's great!" Yui beamed, warming up Hachiman's heart even more than with her previous comment. It felt like ages since he'd seen her smile like that. So… Unbothered by her surroundings. "Just today I was telling mom how strong I feel! It's like… Man, I feel rested! I slept my eight hours, I'm not hungry, my back doesn't hurt… I feel like I'm thriving!"
"Well, I think 'thriving' is a bit of a stretch…" Kawasaki murmured, forcing Hachiman to elbow her.
"Saki-san, please." See? She made Saika mad! She should pay for everyone's orders for her crimes!
"Well, I mean. In that company…" Miura lifted her eyebrows with a mocking expression, getting her drink to stop talking altogether.
"Err… For all their internal problems, it seems like Saitou-san is very competent leading." Yui's smile twitched, looking away like she didn't want to touch the subject.
"Internal problems?" Zaimokuza perked up, listening seriously.
"Well, I mean… Everyone knows where most of the money is coming from. Even the other talents sort of stick to their lane, so to speak…"
"Oh, la la. 'Talents'." Ebina snickered. "Already speaking like a pro in the industry."
"Eeeehhhh… I'm just doing menial work, though!"
"What do you mean?! People can totally start out from the bottom!" The girl with glasses grinned, getting elbowed by Miura in turn. "Hey!"
"Says the girl that didn't come with us."
"I mean, was it necessary? It totally wasn't." Ebina traced the edge of her glass, avoiding everyone's stare.
"It wasn't? I got to meet Gotanda-san, and Komachi-chan will probably appear in a fashion magazine…" Saika tilted his head, looking pretty confused by Ebina's response.
"Ah, good for you?" Ebina furrowed her brows.
"I also have no idea who you're talking about." Hachiman commented, turning to the waiter when he got him his drink. "Thanks."
"The director that looked kinda disappointed in us." Saika replied.
"The guy that was getting all buddy-buddy with Hiratsuka, Hikio." Miura deadpanned.
Hachiman's eye twitched.
"Eh… I don't remember such a thing." He drank a bit from his glass.
Ugh… Why did it taste like an unripe orange? An artificial unripe orange. The hell?
"Hiratsuka's getting hitched?" Kawasaki sounded honestly surprised by the revelation.
"No." Hachiman growled.
"Nah." Miura scoffed.
"Hehe… They were just talking that day." Saika scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Haven't been with Gotanda-san a lot, but I don't think they're even texting."
"You have too much faith in that hag." Miura shrugged, filled with smugness.
"Yumiko!" Yui protested. "She's kind enough to help you with your studies even now! At least don't say that in public!"
So it was fine to make fun of Hiratsuka in private?
Yuigahama-san. Were you, perhaps, also thinking ill of your high school teacher? How come they got no retribution when they did it, but Hachiman always got punished somehow?
So unfair…
"Damn, too bad. She always struck me like she really could use a boyfriend." Kawasaki looked away, so disappointed that Hachiman actually took psychical damage in place of his favorite teacher.
Hang in there, Hiratsuka! Your students might not have faith in you, but that doesn't mean anything! You know what people say, ninety percent of everything is trash. So, wasn't it fine to hope for that lucky ten percent? Please, please, please. Hachiman did not need another drunken tirade about her love life next time they met. He'd get too depressed to even look her straight in the eyes!
"W-Well… I mean, the lack of companionship hardly matters for strong people!" Oof, even Zaimokuza was taking psychic damage. Although his case probably didn't have anything to do with Hiratsuka herself. "Such decisions are better left for simpler individuals, that can find their other half rather easily due to their lack of complexity…"
Hachiman gritted his teeth, suffering due to the emotions that listening to Zaimokuza evoked. Rather than due to the second-hand embarrassment of his choice of words.
Coping and seething were also, coincidentally, two of Hachiman's secret skills. So he got it. Just this once, he chose to feel sympathy for the guy choosing to talk in a ridiculous way.
"Yoshi-dono…" Ebina looked rather sad, making Hachiman break for his traumatic (?) response. "Don't you worry! If girls don't work out, there's always the meat option!"
Miura lifted her fist, face red and jaw clenched.
"Kyaa!" Ebina lifted her hands, pushing herself away from the blonde in genuine fear.
"Shut up!" The Fire Queen dropped her arm, eyebrows twitching while she took her glass.
Hachiman would've sworn her fingers created a crack in the middle with that single motion.
"Miura-san… We're in public." Saika corrected his posture from also having recoiled from the blonde's outburst.
"That's what I'm saying!" The blonde complained.
"I didn't say anything wrong! If you find it weird, that's a 'you' problem!" Ebina also complained, but didn't attempt to correct herself and get closer to Miura.
"It's not weird, you make it weird." Miura glared at the girl.
"This actually has alcohol, doesn't it?" Hachiman stared at his glass, furrowing his brows while licking his lips. Still unable to taste anything but the strange orange-like flavor. "I've been had."
"Oh, please. Do you really think I'd play a trick like that to you?" Miura looked at him in annoyance.
"Yeah."
"I didn't!"
"…" Yui's smile had become a little troubled as she watched all of this happen before lifting her own drink. "…Cheers?"
There was a fire in her heart, one that she couldn't quite control. One that kept her from working at top speed, made her go back to reading the same paragraphs she'd read twice or thrice. Forcing her to double check for her own mistakes while she looked for any in her students' writing.
Hiratsuka Shizuka put down her pen and reached for her phone, quickly unlocking it and going to her messages. Checking if, by some form of miracle, she'd missed any notifications while she was busy.
No such thing.
She grumbled while putting it away, telling herself that she'd done what she wanted and that she should go back to work. Diligence had always been the name of the game, and doubly so after the principal allowed her to stay in Sobu in spite of her time being up and some of her fellow teachers expecting her to be rotated alongside them.
Not innocently, not all of them. But some adults couldn't take the hint. They hadn't learnt while they were at the age to do so, and now they simply puffed their chests and doubled down on pretending to be in the right.
Ninety percent of men were garbage, or so the dating scene claimed. Shizuka liked to think that people simply needed a chance to polish themselves and shine, but the more she grew up (not "aged", never that), the more she belatedly realized that the ninety percent rule applied to… Far more things than she'd have liked. Inanimate or not, people or not. Perhaps people's negativity was finally getting to her for real, and this outlook was causing her to be so trigger happy. But, well, it was part of her job to put those feelings aside and give the young ones (the younger ones) a chance to polish themselves and shine. To show their peers that they were actually made of sterner stuff, whether they believed it or not.
She fell for the same trick of modern society as her students, however. And nervously looked at her phone again. Feeling like, this once, the notifications might show up a different result.
No such luck.
"Ugh…" Shizuka caressed her forehead, wondering whether she was getting herself too involved in things or if she was being too lenient. When it came to dates, her potential husbands were quick to run away. But to catch this particular troublemaker? It made the woman's nerves flare up even more. "Haruno, Haruno, Haruno…"
The little girl had at least had the decency of replying at first, claiming to be busy with the family business. Shizuka understood, and she didn't want to be too forceful. But, well, eventually even her patience would run thin. She'd wanted to talk, once her wrath had ceased. But Haruno had declined to pay a visit or meet somewhere.
All that made was to make Shizuka's fury light up again.
It wasn't her place to be angry, she understood that accidents happened. Sometimes, things went too far. She got it, she didn't actually think that Haruno had sent her student straight to his death. Shizuka liked to believe in people, after all. And Haruno, although still rough around the edges, had never been someone that Shizuka would call worthy of distrust.
And yet… After all of this? After knowing what had happened, what Shizuka had caused by simply giving the older of the Yukinoshita the benefit of doubt…
Everything she'd held dear, every memory of her little project… Tainted. While Shizuka told herself "I helped" and "I made a difference", patting herself on the shoulder for a job well done, something truly unforgivable had happened right under her nose. The pride of helping people, of seeing a kid turn a new leaf and actually go out and explore what life had in store for him… Unforgivable. She should've known better, maybe tag along, not say anything, give him even the smallest piece of advice…
Shizuka turned the page, concentrating in a new paper. Clicking her pen nervously. Giving her senses something to latch on before putting her mind into it.
"But things change without warning. Like a rollercoaster that loops around, and rises, and goes down, and… Damn, kids trying to sound smart." Shizuka chuckled, thinking what to note down. Scanning the rest of the paragraph. This guy wouldn't get a perfect score, but maybe it was more salvageable than these lines implied.
Shizuka eyed her phone again, being tempted to take it again.
The doorbell rang, snapping her out of her thoughts.
She grabbed the phone, checking again. No messages.
Huh, no drunkards either. Or at least she hoped none of those idiots actually drunkenly came to crash at her home again.
She'd kick their asses if it came down to it. Or so she thought while going to open the door.
"…Eh?"
"…!"
The girl that greeted her wasn't her student, or her ex-student either. Shizuka almost didn't recognize her with the outfit she wore, kind of "dressed up like she hadn't actually dressed up" like Isshiki would've described. With her dark brown hair let down, and her black jacket making the dress she wore look like just a fancy skirt.
"You." Shizuka was more surprised than angry, and confused. Given that the girl held beers like she was going to a party. Which, as far as Shizuka knew, was not happening. Not in her house anyway. It made her puzzled enough that, for a moment, she wondered if she was actually misremembering something.
Maybe the kids actually planned to throw a party for Yuigahama in her home in spite of Shizuka saying no? But that didn't make sense! She'd been very explicit in insisting her house was not somewhere they could do as they pleased. The absolute brats, she was going to kick their asses later!
"Y-Yeah… Can I… Can I come in?" The brunette idol asked, more nervous than she'd been a moment ago. Making Shizuka concentrate back in her.
"Eh… Okay?" She made way for the girl, still unsure as to what was going on. But still looking around the street to see if anyone was there.
Had she… Had she arrived on her own? No taxis were in sight, but maybe Shizuka just took a little too long to answer the door. She wanted to think that this girl did not walk around the neighborhood alone at night. No matter how safe it might seem.
"…Eh?" The girl stopped in her tracks when she got to the living room and found Shizuka's stuff lying around the table. "…Where are your students?"
"Probably at a bar or something." Shizuka answered, a little less confused now. Given that it looked like this girl had either been wrong about her own plans… Or someone played a prank on her.
"…What."
Okay, that didn't tell Shizuka anything. But at least she wasn't the only one understanding the situation now.
"Were you invited?" She asked with more softness, walking to her place at the table to help the girl make sense of what she was seeing. "The little shits. I know we didn't meet in the best of occasions but…"
"I… No. I… I was told… And I thought…" The girl was rapidly going through her stages of grief, so Shizuka let her unwind. Gave her time to keep her thoughts in order. "If I could just… Y'know."
"Talk?" Shizuka suggested.
"I-I… If I could just get a bit of help…"
"I… Don't think any of those guys would want to help you." Shizuka replied, keeping her gaze straight on the girl's body language. "And I don't think they'd be thrilled to see you arrive invited."
"But if I don't try, then…"
"Look, umm…" Shizuka scratched the end of her eyebrow with her thumb. Did she know the girl's name? Her actual name? "If you want to make amends, you'll have to wait for them to be ready. You messed up rather badly."
"But it was an accident!" The girl almost dropped what she had on her hands, and Shizuka was surprised of the intensity of the emotion held in that voice of hers. "I-I didn't want to… I didn't know…"
Shizuka released some air through her nose.
"That might be so, but what happened still happened." She replied slowly, forcing the girl to concentrate so she wouldn't mishear. "There are mistakes and wrong ways to do things, and this is still the latter."
"But… But my career…"
"I don't think they can help you with that either." Shizuka furrowed her brows.
"But Ai-chan listens to him, for some reason! If I…"
"Problems and complaints don't work that way." Shizuka stopped her again. "If your boss has a good head on his shoulders, he'd not let such a big problem slide just because another of his workers tells him to. A problem avoided is one you don't want to repeat, not when there's money that can be lost."
"…"
Shizuka looked away, unsure as to how to continue.
Well, one thing at a time.
"Why don't you get those in the fridge?" Shizuka motioned with her chin to the kitchen. "Did you come alone? I don't think you live in Chiba. So, do you have somewhere to stay? Were you planning on doing that?"
"Err, well… I don't… I didn't really think about that… Ideally, I'd have stayed at someone's home…"
Oh god…
"Well, that won't do. Do you have a way to go back home?"
"I… Yeah, sure." The girl retreated a bit, her stance breaking into a bit of a defensive one.
Shizuka held her gaze, wondering for a moment if this girl simply did not want to go back home. It wouldn't be the first, or the last, person that Shizuka had met with problems that started there. Had she been prompted? Forced to do this? Shizuka had seen strict parents go personally to the teachers and apologize along their child to them. The image of a businesswoman bowing and forcing her son's head down alongside her in the teachers' room had been burned in Shizuka's memory at some point, making her feel a bit sorry for the kid.
Most parents, much to Shizuka's dismay, did not even fall under the category of "good enough".
One of her favorite students would've doubled down on mentioning the ninety percent rule, and how expecting otherwise would be dumb. But, if he mentioned such a thing in this context, Shizuka would've hit him square in the stomach for saying that in front of someone clearly struggling with a related problem.
"Is that so? Then it's fine." She gave the girl some breathing room, dropping her gaze back to her work. Letting the girl feel less ashamed of herself. "As you can see, there's no party here. So you may want to consider going back now."
"I guess…" The girl sounded less bothered, but still seemed to hold some reservation in things. Like, she hadn't even put down the beers, her stance was awkward and uncomfortable, and Shizuka was pretty sure she'd either cried or been under a lot of stress before arriving.
Shizuka sighed, feeling the anger that had permeated through her mind and heart before drain. Feeling her go back into "business mode", like she'd arrived at school already.
"Come to think of it, are you hungry?"
"Eh?"
Shizuka lifted her face, a neutral expression there now.
"I mean, you came all the way here. I don't know you, but I'd be pretty disappointed if nothing happened when I made up my mind to face the music…" Shizuka looked away, cringing a bit. She'd been a teenager too, and had experienced awkward situations as well as heartbreak, loss… Her house was too big now, her hopes and dreams left as simply that while she'd looked out for the future.
It looked to her like this girl had her own hopes and dreams dashed, and needed a gentle hand to string her along.
"If you want, we can go grab something to eat." Shizuka continued when the girl didn't reply. Pulling on the cleavage of her tank top a bit while talking. "Let me get a jacket. Do you like noodles? I know just a place, we can talk; and if you need, I can drive you back home."
"Eh? No! There's no need, haha…"
"Is that so? Well, I'm still getting kinda hungry." Shizuka didn't stand up. She allowed the girl to take her time, weigh her options. "What do you say?"
"I'm… Not really that hungry…"
"Really? Oh, maybe you're worried about your diet? I've heard that idols have to go through a strict regime to stay on top of their game."
"I mean, yes. But that's not…" The brunette looked away, holding onto the cans tighter.
It struck Shizuka that she hadn't released them at all, changed the way she held them. Weren't they cold? Hadn't she realized?
What the hell were the Saitou doing with their young workers?
"C'mon, sweetheart. Free food. You never say no to that." Shizuka smiled at her, trying to put her worries aside for the girl's benefit. "There's a charm to eating when you're feeling sad, confused…"
Shizuka looked at the phone again.
"…Angry." She shook her head. "There's nothing quite like eating something good to lift our spirit. A basic need, it might be. But there's worth in going out of your way to eat something tasty and continue in our merry way afterward."
"Continue…?"
Shizuka scoffed gently.
"Sometimes, we just need to take a breather. Take a step back and see things in a different angle." Shizuka looked away again, thinking back about why she'd founded the Service Club originally. "Sometimes, all we need is to get our head in the right place. And food is great, fantastic even. It might not solve your problems, but a full stomach definitely feels good."
"…" The resistance had stopped, but something still held the girl back. Shizuka didn't know what it could possibly be but…
Every day people had bad things happening. Morning, midday, evening, night… Be it because of some form of cosmic balance, a law, or the way people had unwittingly changed the world to make it the path of least resistance… Pain was always waiting for them.
In the streets, and empty and cold rooms, in the whispered voices of their peers and people above them, in their dreams and darkest and most personal of thoughts. No matter where people looked at, pain would always find a way in.
Shizuka knew this, which was why she liked to give people a chance. Respite, some encouragement, could go a very long way in making someone's worst day in their lives a little better. Enough to help them move along.
Shizuka was angry, sad, she hated herself a bit even. But, that day, she woke up like every other day. She saw a world that kept on going, that had people not meeting their own expectations, be weighed down by their past and circumstances.
The world was ugly, which was why there was no excuse not to choose kindness. To not choose to try and make it a little better.
Hiratsuka Shizuka woke up that day, like every other day. Thus, like every other day, she'd choose to be kind. She'd choose to try to be helpful.
"Who knows? Maybe next time I can let a comment slide, tell someone about how cool you are when you're not under loads of misunderstanding?" Shizuka rested her face on her hand, smiling. "Maybe we can go to a place I know the Hikigaya love? Food always makes people a little happier, so if you're armed with a bit of knowledge… Who knows? Apologies and making amends are always easier with a full stomach."
The brunette bit on her lower lip, expression going from worried to… Tired. Oh so tired.
"I… Could use something to eat, yes."
Shizuka smiled a bit more.
"I'll get my jacket." She stood up, feeling her back pop a couple of times because of that motion. "Ah… I'll take the bear in exchange for treating you. So, please do go to the fridge. If it's lukewarm, it'll be gross."
When Shizuka came back down, a few pictures of Yuigahama's outing were waiting for her in unread messages.
She smiled at the world telling her to keep doing the right thing.