Checkmate

by Benzux

A game of chess has two queens, both trying to checkmate the opposing king. Soubu High also has two queens, but unlike in chess, each is trying to checkmate their own king. But if one queen failed in her endeavor, pushing her king away, there would only be one king left on the board. And Hikigaya Hachiman is about to find out what it's like to be the sole king on the board.

16. Chapter 15 - Valentine's Day Part 2

AN: Hi. Hello. Uhhh… what lies did I spread in the last chapter's author's notes again? Three months? Yeah apparently not lol. I ain't got much to say other than life got real darn busy. I thought I could cruise through Uni but it's actually got hands. Thankfully, I'm much less busy now, and having made the difficult decision to put some of my other story projects on hold for now, I'll try my best to put my full writing focus on Checkmate, while also working on oneshot stuff on the side so I don't burn myself out.

Anyway, happy new year! Hope you all enjoy the new chapter! Some interesting things and perspectives to be found in this one!

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Chapter 15 – Valentine's Day Part 2

"I said..!"

My muscles tensed as I watched the hand Yukinoshita was holding her knife with rise ever so slightly when her head snapped to look at her sister, my body flinching away just as her sister's did. All other conversations in the room were silenced with the black-haired Ice Queen's shout, and everyone's attention was turned to us. Eyes fixated on the knife in her hand, I held my breath in terror, my heart racing as I waited to see what was going to happen next.

A moment or two passed as myself, Yui and Yukinoshita's sister all remained frozen in place. My rival tensed up slightly, then blinked once and slowly looked around the room, meeting the gazes of several people and seemingly realizing that she'd caused a scene. I remained frozen as Yukinoshita cleared her throat and apologized, then quickly turned away from her older sister and continued with cutting up her chocolate. A few more moments passed in utter silence, but everyone quickly returned to their prior business as well, with only a few curious, concerned or intrigued eyes remaining on Yukinoshita, though even they eventually turned away.

My eyes, however, remained on Yukinoshita for a long while.

She's… terrifying.

Even after Haruno left us, my heart was still racing. For just a moment, what I had seen in Yukinoshita's eyes had made my self-preservation instincts scream at me, telling me to run. I could tell that her sister had been prodding her on purpose, trying to get a rise out of the girl, but her reaction… felt way overblown. Are they truly on that bad terms..? Or did she touch on a sensitive topic?

Still keeping one wary eye on Yukinoshita, my hands began to work on cutting up my chocolate again, though at a slightly slower pace than before. Her sister was about to say something about her elementary school days, and I, of all people, know how bad reopening old wounds can be. I cast my gaze across the room, searching the area until my eyes landed on Yukinoshita Haruno, currently having a hushed conversation with Hayato while Totsuka awkwardly stood by. There was very little I knew of Yukinoshita's past, but knowing that Hayato was somehow involved – not to even mention her meddling older sister – there must have been many things she didn't want to revisit. That thought made me sympathize with the girl slightly, despite the fact that she was my primary love rival. However…

...She's still deranged if she thinks that somehow gives her the right to monopolize Hikio. And, if she's going to snap like that so easily… Well, that just shows she'll be more of a danger to him than anything, yet again proving that I am the one he's meant to be with!

I felt a proud smirk growing on my face at the thought. Today was my chance to one-up Yukinoshita properly, and if she was going to self-sabotage like that, I would happily take advantage of it. I know Yukinoshita is supposed to be a good cook, but I've done my homework for today! Recalling the recipe I'd tried my best to memorize, I double-checked that the amount of chocolate I had prepared was correct, then quickly worked on chopping up the rest of the pieces. Just you wait, Hikio. I'm going to blow your mind! My gaze slid towards the side of the room, where Hikio was leaning against the wall next to Miss Hiratsuka, the two of them seemingly having a conversation.

I watched the two of them for a few moments, but as I was about to turn back, a somewhat odd feeling suddenly welled up in me, preventing me from doing so. Thinking about it now… Hiratsuka-sensei spends a lot of time with Hikio, doesn't she..? Though, well, she is our homeroom teacher and guidance counsellor, and is also the Service Club's advisor, so I guess it makes sense that, like, they'd be well-acquainted… But…

My gaze lingered on the pair for a bit longer, and my eyes narrowed as I took in Miss Hiratsuka's appearance and demeanour. I couldn't hear what the subject of their conversation might have been from this distance – especially not with the sounds of all the other people around me – but it seemed like they were talking very casually, as if they were just a couple of friends rather than teacher and student. Hikio's eyes were subtly scanning the room and the people around him – as they always were, I'd come to learn since getting to know him – but they'd regularly return to Miss Hiratsuka as they spoke.

Her eyes, however… seemed to be almost solely on him.

Occasionally she'd glance around at the rest of the room, often accompanied by a full turn of her head and a swish of her beautiful, long hair, but her attention would always before long return to Hikio. She was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed right next to him, but unlike Hikio, who had his back against the wall, Miss Hiratsuka was leaning her side against it, making her whole body angled towards him. And the expression on her face… That smile was not something I'd seen on her face before, but I couldn't quite put together the words to describe it.

I knew what Miss Hiratsuka was like during class and as our homeroom teacher, but I don't think I've ever seen her look quite like that – not even during the times I'd shown her my vulnerabilities in her office, when her more caring side would come out. No, the way she was when talking with Hikio was definitely completely different from her interactions with everyone else.

And that thought made me freeze in place.

Wait…

No, it can't be…

I know Hikio is more charming than he believes himself to be – I'm a living example of that, having fallen for him so suddenly.

But…

Hiratsuka-sensei… as well..?

The feeling from before grew inside me, and suddenly my stomach felt like it was being twisted into a knot. Has she actually..? No, I gotta be mistaken… They're teacher and student! It would be… My eyes remained glued to Hikio and Miss Hiratsuka as my mind wrestled with the question of whether I was right or not, the odd feeling in the pit of my stomach now starting to rise up my gullet. Then, my thoughts were suddenly interrupted when I heard the teacher laughing, Hikio having evidently said something funny, and she playfully slapped his shoulder with a hand.

As I watched her hand come into contact with him – lingering for a millisecond too long, I thought – the feeling inside of me suddenly surged in intensity, and I finally realized what it was:

Jealousy.

All become clear to me. It didn't matter whether Miss Hiratsuka did truly feel like that towards him or not.

What mattered was that she was being too close with Hikio.

My Hikio.

"Ah, Yumiko, could you pass that over?" Suddenly hearing my name coming from Yui, I was brought back to reality and turned to the girl, somewhat confused. Ah… what..? "Yumiko?" I blinked as she repeated my name, then looked down at her hand to see her pointing at a cooking utensil sitting on my side of the table, out of her reach. Still in a bit of a stupor, I grabbed and handed it to Yui with my right hand, barely even acknowledging her words of thanks as my eyes landed on my left one, still gripping tightly onto the edge of the bowl I'd been placing the chopped-up chocolate into. What…

...What was I just thinking?

I released the bowl from my grip, my palm and fingers reddened from how tightly I'd held onto it – something which I hadn't even been consciously aware of. Bewildered, I slowly raised my gaze back up and looked towards where Hikio and Miss Hiratsuka were, and the sight made that ugly feeling rear its head again. The teacher now had her arm wrapped around Hikio's shoulders, playfully pulling him closer to her as she grinned, while Hikio's expression was a mix of annoyance and embarrassment, his hands hopelessly trying to pry Miss Hiratsuka off. The longer I watched, the hotter I felt myself growing, as the spark of jealousy within me began to grow into a flame of anger. This isn't right. This isn't... right!

I should be the one next to him, not her.

Realizing what my thoughts had drifted to again, I quickly shook my head and pulled my gaze away. No, that's not what I should be focusing on! If I'm correct, then Miss Hiratsuka… B-but they're teacher and student! She should know that and keep her hands off my Hikio… I gritted my teeth and closed my eyes in frustration, my thoughts having suddenly become a jumbled mess. Argh, what is wrong with me? Why am I thinking like this? I mean, yes, I should probably be mad at Hiratsuka-sensei for being so touchy with a student, especially if she does feel that way towards him, and jealousy is expected, given my own feelings, but… I slowly opened my eyes and looked at my hands again.

They were shaking slightly.

There's… something more there. What I felt just now… that anger…

"What's the matter, Miura-san? Forgot the recipe, or just lost your nerve?" An icy voice coming from my left suddenly cut off my train of thought, as if a bucketful of cold water had just been dumped all over me. I felt myself tensing up slightly, then slowly turned to look to the source of the voice, where my eyes met those of Yukinoshita Yukino.

A thin smile devoid of joy – except perhaps the tiniest hint of mocking amusement – adorned the girl's face as she glanced sideways towards me, as if I was not even worthy of her full attention, and I felt my irritation rising again. Just... stay calm, Yumiko. Prove that you're better than her. It's kinda... alarming if my intuition is correct about Hiratsuka-sensei, but I need to focus on Yukinoshita now. Averting my eyes from her, I composed myself while busying my hands with the bowl before replying to her obvious taunt.

"Nothing like that, I just remembered something unpleasant." I said, sending a sideways glance of my own at the raven-haired ice queen. She seemed to be in the next phase of her preparation already, but I had no need to rush, even if I had fallen behind slightly. Speed is not the deciding factor, but rather quality and knowledge on the subject at hand. Yukinoshita might be a better cook than I am, but I'd like to believe that I know Hikio quite well already – and this recipe is aimed perfectly at his tastes.

"I see. I hope it won't prove too debilitating for you, I'd hate for my win to come too easily." The girl's words oozed with so much arrogant confidence it made me want to retch, but I wouldn't let her words get to me. Still delusional enough to believe that things are guaranteed to go your way? I'll prove just how wrong you are. Stuck between the two of us, Yui's hair bun bounced as her head repeatedly whipped from left to right, the girl's expression one of clear confusion, but neither Yukinoshita nor I had the luxury to spare any attention towards her.

"Hah! As if. How about you, Yukinoshita? Did your sister's encouragement help or hinder your efforts, hmm?" I smirked as I threw a taunt of my own at Yukinoshita. "Can you even like, be trusted with a knife right now?" The ice queen's hands paused for a moment, and I felt my smirk widening slightly. Hah, got her~

"Y-Yumiko…" Yui's quiet voice reached my ears, but I ignored her plea – she was not even a piece on the board right now, let a lone a player in the game. This was between me and Yukinoshita.

"...Nee-san's meddling is never to the benefit of anyone involved." Yukinoshita paused for a moment, seemingly to take in a breath, before continuing. "And I thank you for your concern, Miura-san, but rest assured that I can handle cooking implements well enough so that you will not come under any harm, as long as you do do not invite the risk of it with your actions around the kitchen."

"Y-Yukinon…" Likewise, Yukinoshita also ignored Yui completely, her attention being split between the tasks in front of her and her verbal spar with me.

"Is that so..? Well, I'll be keeping my distance anyway. I'd hate to risk damaging my skin or nails – or worse – because somebody couldn't abide by basic kitchen utensil safety rules." Yukinoshita huffed in amusement in reaction to my words, and I could spot a light smirk on her lips.

"Oh, do not worry, Miura-san. I wouldn't allow you to come any closer than you currently are in the first place, lest you contaminate my ingredients or utensils with all the excessive chemicals practically dripping off you." Her words made my eye twitch, but I merely smiled in response. Twice the pride, double the fall. The more she gloats, the sweeter my victory will taste – as sweet as these chocolates that will secure my advantage over her.

"G-guys… I-I'm sure both your sweets will be great, so let's just focus on the cooking, yeah..?" Yui's tone of voice was on the verge of panicked by now as she tried to mediate between us, but neither of us reacted to her words as we stared each other down across the counter.

Before it could escalate further, however, our stare-off was interrupted when a familiar name spoken by a voice only vaguely familiar reached our ears.

"Hikigaya! Do you know where all the cute cookie moulds are? There were some heart-shaped ones somewhere, right?"

"Huh? Why are you asking me, I just carry stuff around here. Tamanawa's the one who set everything up, he should know."

Both of our heads immediately turned towards the source of the cheery voice and the familiar deadpan response it elicited. Our gazes landed on a head of fluffy brown hair, its owner one who we were both familiar with, but whose presence we hadn't even considered to be relevant in any meaningful way – Orimoto Kaori.

"That's exactly why! C'mon, help me out here, Hikigaya." The brunette lightly nudged Hikio with her elbow, drawing an annoyed grunt out of him and making me tense up. What right does she have to touch him so casually?! Once again, as soon as the thought – and the emotion attached to it – entered my head, I had to mentally take a step back.

No, wait, I'm getting weirdly angry again. Am I really… this petty and jealous? I was… like this with Hayato, too… but that was then and this is now! I thought that I'd grown since then, and I already decided that I'm much more serious about Hikio, but am I really still..?

"...Ah, that's it! Thanks, Hikigaya!" Hikio's name leaving Orimoto's mouth again snapped me out of my thoughts, and I saw him handing her some cookie moulds, evidently having caved into the brown-haired girl's demands for help. Just... calm down, Yumiko. She's got the moulds now and will leave Hikio alone. I didn't like how casual she was being with him, but I simply gritted my teeth and tried ignore her and the emotions inside of me, attempting to return my focus back to the task at hand.

Her next words, however, made that impossible.

"Hmm… Say, Hikigaya? Did I ever actually give you any Valentine's chocolates back in the day?"

---

No...

No!

No, no, no, no nonono!

What are you doing? Get away from him! Whyyyyyy? I could have stopped her. I should have stopped her. But it's too late now. I'm sorry, Orimoto-senpai.

I'd been absent-mindedly working on my sweets while keeping one wary eye on Yukino-senpai across the room, and realized too late that the girl who had just moments ago been right next to me had mentioned Senpai's name before going to look for moulds for her chocolates. Now, all I could do was watch in horror as the brunette waltzed right on up to Senpai, the one person I should have been keeping her away from.

I know they're acquainted with each other, but did you really have to go all the way to him to ask for cookie moulds?! Your chocolate hasn't even melted yet, what do you need the moulds for right now? Starting to feel panicked, my eyes darted over to Yukino-senpai, who – thankfully – seemed to be preoccupied with talking to Miura-senpai.

Then, Orimoto-senpai just had to go and open her mouth.

"Hikigaya! Do you know where all the cute cookie moulds are? There were some heart-shaped ones somewhere, right?"

"Huh? Why are you asking me, I just carry stuff around here. Tamanawa's the one who set everything up, he should know."

My blood ran cold as both Yukino-senpai and Miura-senpai suddenly turned their attentions to Orimoto-senpai. All I could do was pray that Yukino-senpai wouldn't do anything with so many people around, but given that she basically almost stabbed her sister just earlier, I was not confident. Senpai is right, couldn't you have just asked this idiot? He should know where everything is, and are you seriously that oblivious that you can't see him practically grovelling at your feet, begging for your attention?

"That's exactly why! C'mon, help me out here, Hikigaya." My horror only intensified as the brunette nudged Senpai with her elbow. No, no, no! Ruuuuun! What are you doing? Can't you feel the two murderous gazes on your back?

Wait.

...Two?

For a moment, my terror was replaced with confusion. There were in fact two people staring daggers at Orimoto-senpai – Yukino-senpai and Miura-senpai. Huh..? Wait, what's going on? Why is... Miura-senpai glaring at her as well?

"Haaah, fine. I don't know about 'cute' or anything like that, but I'm pretty sure I brought in a box of moulds and other stuff…" Resigning to his fate and oblivious to the tension brewing up on the other side of the room, Senpai moved over to where some cardboard boxes were stacked on top of each other and began to rummage through them. I know Yukino-senpai likes him, and threatened me to back off, but… Miura-senpai as well..? They've become friends, I know that much, but has she really also… fallen for Senpai? "...There we go, will this do?" My attention was drawn back to Senpai as he spoke again, handing a few moulds to Orimoto-senpai. Please just take them and return here. Please.

"...Ah, that's it! Thanks, Hikigaya!" The brunette thanked him as she took the moulds from him, and my fear began to rise again as their hands almost touched, but the crisis was just narrowly avoided. Please come back now. Maybe I should call out to her? If I can just get her away from Senpai, things should be fine. That's right, Yukino-senpai will calm down and things will be fine.

Unfortunately, Orimoto-senpai was quicker in opening her mouth than I was.

"Hmm… Say, Hikigaya? Did I ever actually give you any Valentine's chocolates back in the day?"

It felt like time slowed to nearly a halt. The brunette's voice rang clear, and practically everyone in the kitchen heard it. Many did not care, but a few figures turned their heads, including Tamanawa next to me, Kawasaki-senpai from her counter, as well as Haruno-senpai and Hayama-senpai from the opposite side of the room – even Miss Hiratsuka reacted to her words, the teacher's expression now one of surprise. Their reactions were not what I was worried about, however. No… No, no, no…

Terrified, I slid my gaze back to the counter occupied by Miura-senpai, Yui-senpai and Yukino-senpai. Yui-senpai had also turned to look towards Senpai, but her expression was a mix of curiosity and worry more than anything – it was the other two girls on either side of her who made me freeze in fear. The intensity of their glares had increased tenfold, and their bodies were tense, as if ready to pounce at any given moment. This is it. One wrong move here and things will go badly, really really badly.

I should have told Senpai sooner, and in more detail. I should have told Hiratsuka-sensei. I should have told anyone! Why didn't I?! Why didn't I tell them how deranged Yukino-senpai is, and how she threatened me? It's the right thing to do.

...

Ah, that's right.

Because she's terrifying.

I don't think she wasn't joking, she really could have hurt me.

And that look in Miura-senpai's eyes…

I felt a shiver go down my spine as my gaze fixated on Miura-senpai.

...It's the exact same as Yukino-senpai's.

"...No, you didn't. We barely talked to each other." Finally, time seemed to resume as Senpai replied to Orimoto-senpai, and many of the people who's attention had been grabbed by the brunette before returned to what they had been doing before.

But the two of them kept their gazes locked on her, and thus I remained paralyzed as well.

"Hmmm… I guess you're right!" Orimoto-senpai responded with an enthusiastic smile – still oblivious to the danger she was in – then continued after a moment. "Hey, maybe we can fix that today? I'll set aside a few pieces for you, Hikigaya, how about it?"

CLANG!

Before Senpai could reply to Orimoto-senpai's words, the sound of something metallic falling on the floor echoed loudly through the room, making me jump and freeing me of my fear-induced stupor. The sound drew practically everyone's attention, conversations ceasing and heads turning to look at its source – an empty bowl now rolling on the floor, seemingly having fallen from the countertop occupied by Miura-senpai, Yui-senpai and Yukino-senpai. Of the three of them, the latter two were looking at Miura-senpai, who seemed to be the one who had knocked the bowl over. I couldn't quite make out her expression, as her head was also turned to the side, eyes focused on the bowl, but I knew that it hadn't just been a random accident.

The blonde's clenched fist told me everything I needed to know about how she felt at that moment.

Miura-senpai… she's really… as well…

The fear began to creep back up my spine, my heart now beating so loudly I could barely even hear my own thoughts. This is… even worse than I thought. So much worse. It's not just me who's in danger, or Orimoto-senpai, or anyone else unlucky enough to have even the mildest interest in Senpai. If… If Miura-senpai really is just like Yukino-senpai is…

...Then he is the one in true danger.

I watched in silence as Miura-senpai apologized with a smile, then went to pick up the bowl she had knocked over. Yui-senpai looked at the blonde with a worried expression, while Yukino-senpai's face was unreadable, her eyes lingering on Miura-senpai even as everyone else returned to whatever they had been doing before. This is bad. Really bad. I should have warned him sooner. I have to warn him as soon as I can, tell him everything. If Yukino-senpai finds out, things will be bad for me, but they'll be much, much worse for Senpai if I don't warn him. And Miura-senpai… I felt my hands trembling as I looked at the blonde, and forced them to stay still by balling them up into fists.

...I really hope I'm wrong about her.

---

Something is off about this.

Yukino-chan's never snapped at me like that before.

We've had our disagreements in the past, of course – such is the nature of sisterly interaction – but never anything like this. A part of me was happy to see Yukino finally standing up for herself, but the look in her eyes…

It terrified me.

And vary rarely does something make Yukinoshita Haruno truly scared.

"...Hayato, have you noticed anything different about Yukino-chan recently?" In response to my question, the blonde next to me shifted his eyes to me for a moment, likely taking in my serious expression, before turning his gaze back forward.

"...I assume you're referring to the obvious, but no, I haven't. I've… had my own share of troubles recently, and this is the first time I've seen her personally in a while." Hayato replied to me and crossed his arms, his eyes fixed on my sister.

"Your own troubles, hm?" Having a good hunch as to what Hayato was talking about, I felt a mischievous smirk tugging at the corners of my lips. "Oh, you must be talking about that one rumour floating about… I must say, Hayato, I never took you for that kind of guy. But, don't worry! Your Big Sis will always be supportive of you!"

I lightly slapped Hayato's shoulder playfully, and the blonde closed his eyes as his face scrunched up at my teasing, but he quickly composed himself again – a flawless reaction, just as expected. Briefly, I saw the shorter boy standing to his other side – a classmate of Hayato's whose name I couldn't be bothered to remember – fidgeting awkwardly as a light blush appeared on his cheeks. He didn't seem to be purposefully listening to our conversation, though, so I elected to ignore him for now.

"...I'm not even going to question how you heard about that." Hayato paused for a moment, quickly scanned the room with his eyes, then continued in a slightly quieter voice. "In any case, I haven't had many opportunities to meet or talk with your sister, so I couldn't really say whether something's changed or not. Then again…" The blonde's brows furrowed as he narrowed his eyes, bringing one hand up to cup his chin and cover his mouth while he thought. "There… was a bit of an odd moment, now that I think about it… When I went to the Service Club for something…" His muffled words, spoken more to himself than to me, piqued my interest, so I leaned in closer to gaze inquisitively into his eyes.

"Hm? You asked for help from their club?" Hayato gave me a brief nod in response, but was clearly still occupied by his own thoughts, his gaze and expression unmoving. "...Well? What did you notice about Yukino-chan?" I then questioned from the blonde after a few seconds when he didn't elaborate any further, and Hayato closed his eyes for a few moments.

"...I'm not even sure about it myself, to be honest, but I don't think this and that are related." Hayato muttered, then opened his eyes again and turned to look at me, a slightly awkward smile revealing itself when he lowered his hand. "I think you just took your teasing too far."

"So, you're pinning it all on poor old me, then? How cruel of you." I made a show of pulling away from Hayato while putting on the most hurt expression I could, but the blonde wasn't swayed by my acting in the slightest.

"We… both know she doesn't like bringing up those times, and I'd prefer you keep them under wraps as well." Hayato's gaze turned stern for just a moment, before he turned back to look towards my sister again. "...Her reaction was… surprising, though. I've never seen her get angry like that. Maybe the event is stressing her out? This was set up on quite the short notice, from what I understand."

"Hmm… Maybe. Yukino-chan is also quite competitive, and she does have a direct rival here today to stoke those flames in the form of that Miura girl, but… I don't buy it." I crossed my arms under my chest as I fell deep into thought, eyes fixated on my younger sister. The way she looked at me… that was too different from the Yukino-chan I know. There's got to be something else at play here. Maybe I should ask Shizuka-chan about it? She's likely to have noticed if anything has changed with her students… My gaze darted over to Shizuka, who was currently conversing with Hikigaya on the other side of the room. Or perhaps Hikigaya-kun? ...No, he's too directly involved, and he'd be on guard if I went to ask him about Yukino-chan... I returned my focus to the trio of Yukino, Gahama-chan and Miura as I thought about my options, but feeling a pair of eyes on me, I turned to look at Hayato again. "Hm? What is it?"

"What… do you mean by that?" My idle musings seemed to have caught Hayato by complete surprise, even his usual mask unable to hide the genuine confusion on his face and the hint of wariness in his voice. "How is Yumiko a… rival to her exactly?"

For a second or two, I kept staring at Hayato in silence, almost as surprised by his words as he had been of mine.

Does he… not know?

...Well, I suppose not everyone is as perceptive as me, but I would have thought that Hayato of all people would have noticed, given that he's close to her.

My gaze slid back to the trio I'd been looking at before, and I fixed my eyes on one particular individual.

It is quite obvious to me that Miura Yumiko has not only stopped "chasing Hayato's shadow", as she herself put it, but has also shifted her attention to someone else.

Only lingering on the blonde for a brief moment, my gaze continued to travel across the room until it landed on a certain gloomy boy with an unmistakable ahoge.

I would never have expected that the girl Hayato used to shield himself from other girls would end up vying for Hikigaya, but even just from what little I've seen so far… Yukino-chan might be in trouble if she doesn't step up her game.

Turning back to Hayato's questioning gaze before he could notice who I'd glanced towards, I smiled at him.

"You're smart, you'll figure it out even without my help."

The blonde furrowed his brows in slight annoyance at my reply, but, as usual, he quickly composed himself and slowly turned to look toward Yukino-chan and the others again. My own eyes followed suit, but my gaze was unfocused as I returned my thoughts. ...It couldn't really be just her competitive nature or stress, could it? Is Yukino-chan even aware that she has another rival, now? She seemed to know that Hikigaya-kun and Miura Yumiko have become friends, at the very least… My sister is also not the type to let others see that she's stressed, and while she does tend to bottle things up, it's never been to the degree that it'd lead to… a reaction like that to some of my harmless teasing. No, something is definitely… wrong about this.

Whether I liked it or not, my younger sister's reaction had thoroughly disturbed me, and I could scarcely think of anything else. Something must have happened recently to make my teasing elicit such a reaction from Yukino-chan, and I didn't buy that it was simply stress or her being competitive about making chocolates. Hayato was perhaps correct that I'd pushed her buttons a bit too hard – all I really wanted was for her to use my provocation to work harder – but even that didn't suffice as an answer to me. What could it be… Has there been anything happening recently that I know of..? Obviously Miura-san managing to befriend Hikigaya-kun was very unexpected, but… wait, I remember now. The day I saw them in the park, Yukino-chan was asking me about Hayato, and she came to a realization about him and I.

My eyes shifted to the blonde next to me, whose attention seemed to now be on the silver-haired boy to his other side, the two engaged in a conversation. He was correct before, of course. I do know that Yukino-chan does not like when the past is brought up, especially when it involves him. So… could Miura-san digging up the past in order to learn more about him have agitated Yukino-chan in some way? That could be one reason for her lashing out at me earlier. But, even still…

...That doesn't explain the look in her eyes.

I pulled my gaze away from Hayato and closed my eyes, recalling the scene in my mind. I can't remember Yukino-chan ever looking at me – or anyone, for that matter – like that. She'll send an icy look towards me when she doesn't approve of something I've done, and her tongue is as sharp as a knife, but that kind of… rage in her eyes back then… As I was recalling the terror I had felt in that moment, another feeling rose up in me – an odd uncertainty, bordering on familiarity. No, wait… it does… remind me of something I've seen… What on earth was it..?

I had in fact seen that look my sister had before, or at least something like it, but I couldn't remember where, when or what it was. We've had our disagreements before, but never an actual fight, so what could it have been..? Memories from our childhood flashed through my head as I tried my best to recall the times I'd seen Yukino-chan get upset or any particular times when I'd done something amusing at her expense. Amusement park… rollercoasters… christmas… No, she's never gotten truly angry with me, even when she would have had reason to do so – a commendable trait, which makes this even more peculiar. I tried to rack my brain for some time, but it seemed to be futile as nothing clicked, so I ended up abandoning that train of thought – despite the nagging feeling in my gut telling me I was close to something. ...Maybe it will come to me eventually.

Knowing there was little more I could do at the moment, I opened my eyes again and allowed a small sigh of resignation to leave my mouth. I suppose talking to Shizuka-chan will be my best bet at this point. At the very least, she'll have her own thoughts on this whole thing. Casting my gaze somewhat lazily across the room, I felt a small smile of amusement growing on my face as I heard my former teacher laughing and saw her slapping an annoyed-looking Hikigaya on the shoulder. Heh, I'll have to drag her away from her new favourite student first, though. The smile on my face grew and I had to restrain myself from laughing when Shizuka pulled Hikigaya into a headlock, the teacher grinning while he tried to free himself from her arms, face tinted red from embarrassment. The sight of my former teacher acting so playful caused a sudden surge of nostalgia within me, and I found myself reminiscing of my own high school days. She hasn't changed a bit from when I first started at Soubu...

Shizuka has always been close to and popular with her students, largely thanks to being young herself (Well, young compared to the other teachers, at least), and while she was known for playing favourites even back when I attended Soubu, I couldn't recall her ever being as close to a student as she is with Hikigaya – not even myself. However… it wasn't all that surprising to me. The two were kindred spirits, in many ways, sharing interests and similar experiences in their pasts – Shizuka has even told me that she sees a bit of her younger self in Hikigaya. I know she doesn't keep in touch with many of her older friends and acquaintances, and I'm the only person I know of who she actively hangs out with, so perhaps it's good for her to have someone else to spend time with, even if it is her own student.

I continued watching the pair's antics in silence, holding back more giggles as Shizuka roughly patted Hikigaya on the head and messed up his hair once he'd managed to free himself. Still blushing slightly, the boy turned away from her and raked his fingers through his raven locks, lazily fixing his hair so it didn't look too messy – though his unmistakable ahoge remained the same. Maybe I should go over and mess with him a little as well… I'm sure Hikigaya-kun would love having two pretty older ladies pay so much attention to him~ I felt an involuntary tug at the corners of my mouth, and allowed a grin that any onlookers may have described as mischievous to settle onto my features, but before I could make any moves, a voice coming from my right caught my attention.

"Hiratsuka-sensei and Hachiman get along really well, don't they?" Shifting my gaze towards the source of the voice, I saw Hayato and the boy next to him now also looking at Hikigaya and Shizuka, the latter of the two smiling brightly as he spoke. Based on some of the conversations I've had with Shizuka-chan, one could be tempted to say they get on a bit too well for being teacher and student. She certainly has a certain… fondness for him, but Shizuka-chan has always been a professional, and I'm sure that even now she's being a teacher first and foremost.

"They certainly do. Hiratsuka-sensei is good to us all, but it wouldn't be a lie to say she has her favourites." Hayato replied to the boy, crossing his arms as he also allowed a small – practiced, manufactured – smile onto his face.

"I-I guess… you're not wrong, haha…" The shorter boy awkwardly tugged on a few strands of his hair in response to Hayato's words, something about the gesture so endearingly feminine that even I had to almost do a double take. If it wasn't for his voice… Well, even that doesn't sound particularly masculine, to be fair. So, this is the kind of company Hikigaya-kun keeps, huh..? There's always something surprising to learn about him. "...But, I'm really happy for him. I mean, it really feels like he's opening up recently, even managing to make friends with Miura-san." He then continued, a somewhat proud look on his face, though his eyes seemed a bit misty.

"Yumiko… can be a bit heavy-handed sometimes, so I'm willing to bet that more of the effort came from her side rather than his. But… they have gotten surprisingly close, that much is true…" Hayato's words trailed off, and I saw his smile faltering slightly, his gaze remaining fixated on Hikigaya. That matches with the impression I got, but Hikigaya-kun wouldn't have let her get so close and remain there if he really didn't want her to. I suppose Yukino-chan isn't the only one who has been changing as of late…

"She… scares me a little bit sometimes, to be completely fair..." The shorter boy's smile turned a bit awkward as he meekly admitted his true feelings to Hayato, but, perhaps fearing his words may be misunderstood, he quickly turned to the blonde and waved his hands in front of his chest apologetically when he continued. "B-but I don't think of her badly or anything! I got to talk with Hachiman a little about it last week, and he told me Miura-san is a really kind person, and if Hachiman is the one to say it, I trust him."

"...He is a good judge of character, I'll admit that." His attention still focused on Hikigaya, Hayato's response was somewhat half-hearted, and I could only imagine what kinds of thoughts must have been racing through his head. I can't believe he didn't realize what was going on with Miura-san… I guess Hayato must have either gotten complacent or lost his edge recently, or something happened between him and Miura-san that rattled him. Perhaps he simply didn't believe that she could have developed feelings for Hikigaya-kun? I can see why Hayato might think that if he didn't know Hikigaya-kun at all, but as things stand, he'd be severely underestimating Hikigaya-kun's charm if that was what he truly thought.

My gaze returned to the teacher-student pair on the other side of the room. Yes, Hikigaya-kun certainly is more charming than initial assumption would make out – with a bit of a change in attitude and less slouching, he'd be as popular as Hayato, though I know he's not the type to want for that. Regardless, he has managed to snatch the interest of at least two girls already – perhaps even more I'm not aware of – and now Miura-san has joined that list as well. Even Shizuka-chan is closer to him than any other student before, and their shared interests and her teacherly desire to help a troubled student are not the sole reasons for that. To be quite honest, if it wasn't for my sister…

…I might be tempted to be interested as well. He would certainly make for an amusing boyfriend.

But, I don't believe things would work out between us for long. And even if they did, that's not even taking into account what Mother would have to say about it. Though, on that note… It could be an avenue for running away...

…

No, that's a dangerous thought that must be nipped in the bud. I've long since passed the point of being allowed to make selfish decisions, and ultimately, Yukino-chan would be the one to suffer from them.

Clearing my mind with a deep breath, I expelled the thought from my brain as I exhaled, though an attached emotion lingered behind as I watched Hikigaya and Shizuka converse – an emotion that made me feel sick to my stomach. ...Envy is usually something that other people feel in regards to Haruno Yukinoshita, but… in this case...

Hmph, this is all that gloomy loner's fault, making girls suffer with all these emotions that he causes just by existing. Maybe I really should go and mess with him a little – it's only fair at this point.

Just as I was about to move, however, something else caught my attention yet again – this time, a vaguely familiar-looking girl making her way over to Hikigaya and Shizuka. Hm? Isn't that..? Right, it's the girl who went to the same middle school as Hikigaya-kun. The one who was interested in Hayato, before he let her and that friend of hers have a peek under his mask of perfection by defending Hikigaya-kun. I watched the brightly-smiling brunette as she walked over to Hikigaya, and, going against my initial plans, I stayed put to observe what was going to happen. This could be interesting…

"Hikigaya! Do you know where all the cute cookie moulds are? There were some heart-shaped ones somewhere, right?" The girl said to catch Hikigaya's attention, her words accompanied by a small wave.

"Huh? Why are you asking me, I just carry stuff around here. Tamanawa's the one who set everything up, he should know." Hikigaya replied with a somewhat incredulous expression on his face, nodding in the direction of the counter currently occupied by the presidents of Kaihin's and Soubu's student councils. Glancing over, I could see that the former seemed busy with his chocolate-making, while the latter was frozen in place, her face white as a sheet. What's up with her? Her name was… Isshiki Iroha, I believe. Meguri's told me about her and the fuss surrounding her election. She looks… absolutely mortified by something…

"That's exactly why! C'mon, help me out here, Hikigaya." While Isshiki's odd expression piqued my interest somewhat, my attention was brought back to the brunette – Orimoto Kaori, if my memory served me right – when she spoke again and nudged Hikigaya playfully with her elbow. She's being a bit more touchy with him compared to when I last saw her, when she was drooling over Hayato… Don't tell me the same thing that happened with Miura-san has also happened with her? Hikigaya-kun, you really need to leave some of the girls alone so that other guys have a chance, too...

"Haaah, fine. I don't know about 'cute' or anything like that, but I'm pretty sure I brought in a box of moulds and other stuff…" Seeming to resign to his fate despite his annoyed expression, Hikigaya began to rummage through a pile of cardboard boxes while Orimoto stood by and waited patiently, the smile on her face never leaving for even a second. Glancing at Shizuka, I could see that I was not the only one amused by the situation, given the smirk on the teacher's face as she also quietly watched Hikigaya look through the cardboard boxes. Not so quietly observing, however, were the pair to my right.

"Do you… know who that girl is? She's one of the ones from Kaihin's student council, right?" The silver-haired boy asked Hayato, his intrigued gaze locked onto the brunette on the other side of the room. "I didn't know Hachiman had friends there…"

"Friend is a bit of an overstatement, but… From what I know, the two of them went to the same middle school together. Orimoto Kaori is her name, I believe." Hayato replied, leaving out more of the details he was undoubtedly aware of – details that gave me an idea most mischievous.

"She's an old flame of Hikigaya-kun's." I said loud enough to attract both of their – and potentially anyone else's close by – attention, not even attempting to hide the smirk on my face as both Hayato and the shorter boy turned their gazes to me. The former wore a slightly strained and awkward smile on his face, while the latter looked at me with surprise written all over him. Turning my head towards them, the silver-haired boy froze in place as our eyes met for the first time. "Perhaps that's his type, you know?" I then continued with a smile and a tilt of my head, causing the boy to blink and avert his eyes.

"Ah… M-maybe…" He managed to say, still seeming surprised, but he composed himself quickly with a clearing of his throat. "We've never really talked about this kind of stuff before, but… I always got the impression that he got along really well with Yukinoshita-san, so I thought that maybe the more quiet and studious type was what Hachiman liked… Ah, b-but I shouldn't speculate, I don't want to be rude towards either of them." The boy smiled apologetically at me, but before we could continue, Orimoto's voice caught both of our attention again.

"Hmm… Say, Hikigaya? Did I ever actually give you any Valentine's chocolates back in the day?"

Highly intrigued, I swiftly turned to look towards Hikigaya and Orimoto again, and I was not the only one. The brunette had spoken loud enough for the entire room to hear, and I spotted several figures turning their gazes towards her in response – including, most importantly, the trio of my sister, Miura and Gahama-chan. Oh? Now this is interesting. Please, do tell us, Hikigaya-kun. I am certainly not the only one who wants to know. Feeling a smirk tugging at the corners of my mouth, I glanced over at the countertop occupied by the trio who were undoubtedly the most interested in Hikigaya's answer.

Then, for the second time today, my sister made me freeze in terror, thanks to the glare she was sending to the brunette who had just spoken.

Yukino-chan…? What… exactly is going on..? Is she jealous? No, that's not a look of jealousy at all… Do they have some kind of bad blood between them that I wasn't aware of? The intensity of that glare, though...

A shiver went down my spine, and I averted my gaze from my sister, instead looking back at Hikigaya, who was still staring at Orimoto with a perplexed expression. I know they have likely interacted before, but would it really have been enough to cause Yukino-chan to dislike her that much? Maybe something happened between them? But, that still doesn't explain the look she gave to me, though...

"...No, you didn't. We barely talked to each other." Hikigaya finally replied to the question he had been posed, oblivious to the reaction it had incited from my sister – whose gaze continued to be locked onto the pair.

"Hmmm… I guess you're right!" The brunette smiled brightly at Hikigaya, then seemingly got an idea and pointed an index finger at him. "Hey, maybe we can fix that today? I'll set aside a few pieces for you, Hikigaya, how about it?"

CLANG!

Just as she finished speaking, a loud sound echoed throughout the room, ceasing all other conversations and movements as everyone turned to look towards what had caused it – a metal bowl rolling on the floor away from the countertop occupied by my sister, Miura and Gahama-chan. A simple accident, the likes of which can be expected to happen around a kitchen, but given its timing and location, my eyes focused on one particular individual – my sister. To my slight surprise, however, the bowl in front of her was untouched, but, following her gaze, I could see the real culprit, fist clenched and face partially obscured by her hair as she stared down at the bowl on the floor – Miura Yumiko. ...Miura-san? She certainly seems to be more of the jealous type than Yukino-chan is, but… Hmm…

...Why am I suddenly getting a bad feeling about all this?

The silence that had befallen the room was broken when Miura turned turned to face the rest of the room with a smile and apologized to everyone in an ashamed manner, before moving the pick the bowl back up. As people returned to their prior conversations and resumed working on their chocolates, my gaze lingered on that particular countertop, eyes shifting between my sister and Miura, before turning my attention back to Hikigaya, who had been left alone by Orimoto and was now back to quietly conversing with Shizuka. There's only thing I know for certain right now.

I need to speak with Shizuka-chan as soon as I am able.

---

"...Those things are gonna kill you one day, you know?"

"So will overindulging in caffeine, but you don't see me lecturing you on your MAX intake, do you? Heh, how about we make a bet and see which takes us to the grave first, nicotine or caffeine?"

"No thanks, I wouldn't want to cheat my beloved teacher out of her retirement money because of an unfair advantage I have, seeing as you're already-"

"Choose your next words very carefully, Hikigaya."

"...I-indulging in alcohol as well as smokes, while I'm not even old enough to drink yet. A-anyway, should you even be leaving us alone while you go and have a smoke? Aren't you supposed to like… you know, monitor us so we don't set the place on fire, or something?"

"Hm? Oh, no, I'm just here to see how you all are doing. This was all set up by your club and the two student councils, so naturally the responsibility falls on you as well."

"Well, that's mighty reassuring…"

"Come on, you don't always have to be such a downer. Hey, how about I get you a can of MAX while I'm out. Let's enable each other's addictions, shall we?"

"Heh, fine, you strike a good deal, Hiratsuka-sensei. My lips are sealed."

Grinning at our exchange, I gave Hikigaya a pat on the shoulder and began to make my way out of the kitchen. Stopping briefly at the doorway, I glanced over my shoulder and slowly cast my gaze across the room, my eyes landing first on Yukinoshita, then Isshiki, and finally Hikigaya as I took in the scene before me. Even if I was here to monitor them, I think I could still afford a smoke break or two. I really am proud of them.

...Alright, enough sappy thoughts, I need this smoke.

After exiting the community centre kitchen and stepping out into the hallway, I instinctively checked my pockets again, finding my lighter and the pack of smokes I'd been fiddling with for the past couple of minutes in their respective places. Hmm… this might also be a perfect time to pop by the convenience store real quick. They won't be as good as the handmade ones, I'm sure, but the kids should appreciate some fancy chocolates. Reaching into a different pocket, I pulled out my wallet and had a quick peek inside, grimacing at its contents. ...Even if it hurts, the smiles on their faces should be worth it… or something like that.

Letting out a sigh, I pocketed my wallet again and was about to start making my way outside, but paused when I saw a figure standing conspicuously in the middle of the hallway – a tall, stocky-framed student wearing a brown trenchcoat. His stance was awkwardly stiff as he stood facing an empty wall, seemingly avoiding looking in the direction of me and the kitchen, but from behind his glasses, I could just about get a peek at his eyes repeatedly darting to the door I had just exited from. Oh, he's one of Hikigaya's friends, isn't he?

"Hm? You're… Zaimokuza from class 2-C, are you not?" The student flinched as I addressed him, and he quickly turned to face me, though he continued to stand stiffly with his arms glued to his sides.

"A-ah… Gefum! Gee-fum! Y-yes, esteemed Hiratsuka-sensei, 'tis I, the Blademaster Gene…" I watched with growing amusement as the student cleared his throat and began to introduce himself boisterously, but his energy quickly vanished and he visible deflated, before continuing in a more quiet and timid manner. "...Yes, I am, sensei."

"And what might the Blademaster General himself be doing here at the community centre? Were you looking to participate in the Valentine's Day event?" As I questioned him, Zaimokuza flinched again and wiped a bit of sweat from his brow with one hand, while using the other to push a slightly-crumpled piece of paper deeper into one of the pockets of his trenchcoat. Is that… one of the flyers they made for this event? "...It's not going to cause any issues even if you show up unannounced." I continued with a gentle smile. "There's already a couple of extra people who didn't directly apply beforehand, one or two more isn't going to make a difference." In response, Zaimokuza cleared his throat again while pushing up his glasses.

"I-it's not that… I was looking to join the festivities per se, t-though I cannot state with full confidence that the promise of delectable sweets forged by fair maidens didn't intrigue me in the slightest… B-but my primary objective in seeking this place out was because I'd heard that… my partner Hachiman was involved. I-I fear, however, that in my desire to be cautious, I may have taken too long scouting out the target and thusly believe that arriving now would be most uncouth…" Zaimokuza explained, one hand tugging at his collar while beads of sweat ran down his neck. So, in other words, he wants to hang out with Hikigaya but was too nervous to enter and it would bring far too much attention to him to go in now… Hmm… I think I can give him just the excuse he needs.

"Well, if you just need a good reason to go in without drawing attention to yourself specifically…" Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out my wallet again and started counting up what few bills could be found within. "Here, take these and go buy some chocolates from the convenience store. The more expensive the better, so use as much of it as you can. I'll get a platter or something to display them on, and then we can take them inside." I explained as I handed the money to a shocked Zaimokuza. "I was going to do it myself, but since you're here… I can entrust you with this mission, right, o esteemed Blademaster General?" Still somewhat bewildered, the grey-haired student carefully accepted the money from me with a nod.

"Y-yes! I shall see this quest done, milad- er, sensei! Leave it to me!" He replied with enthusiasm and stuffed the money into his pockets, making sure it was secure, and I nodded to him in return.

"Good! And don't even think about running off with it – as Soubu's Guidance Counsellor, I am more than familiar with your family's contact information."

I grinned as Zaimokuza swallowed audibly at my threat made half in jest, before he quickly nodded to me again and turned to somewhat hastily leave. Right, well, that's that taken care of. Now, I should have time for a quick smoke… Reaching back into my pockets, I pulled out my lighter and pack of smokes, but just as I was about to take a step forward, the sound of a door opening behind me and a voice interrupted me.

"Shizuka-chan? Ah, good, you hadn't left yet." Turning back, I could see Haruno peeking out from the kitchen, and she gave me a bright smile and a small wave in greeting as she fully exited out into the hallway. "Going out for a smoke?"

"That's the plan. Did you need something from me?" I asked from my former student, still holding onto the lighter and smokes in the hopes that she'd answer in the negative, but knowing that was likely not the case. I have a feeling I know what she wants to speak to me about...

"Yes, I… wanted to ask you about something." Suppressing a sigh, I placed my lighter and the smokes back into my pockets, knowing that Haruno wasn't the biggest fan of my habit. Ah, there goes my smoke break… Sorry, Hikigaya, I don't think I'll be able to hold up my end of the deal. Not letting my annoyance show, I gestured for Haruno to continue, and she glanced back into the kitchen before closing the door and moving up to pull me further away "Have you noticed anything… off about Yukino-chan recently?" Having correctly guessed her question, I couldn't hold back from sighing this time as I crossed my arms.

"Look, Haruno, I know your teasing ultimately comes from a place of love, but you must know that there are some lines your sister does not appreciate being crossed. Her reaction was quite... strong for someone like her, I'll admit, but that doesn't necessarily mean…" My words trailed off in the middle of my lecture as I saw the expression on Haruno's face. I'd long since grown used to the utter unreadability and perfected expressions granted by her mask, but precisely because of that, I could tell that the deadly seriousness on her face and in her eyes was genuine. "...What's going on, Haruno?"

"I don't know, and that's what's worrying me. You didn't see the look she had on her face at that moment, but let me tell you this." Haruno paused, her rose eyes focused intently on mine, and I could have sworn that I saw her quiver slightly. "Yukino-chan hasn't ever bothered to hide her dislike of me, but she has never looked at me with that much animosity before. I don't know what it might be, but something must have happened, or changed, or… something." Haruno's demeanour was completely different from what I was used to, and it left me somewhat perplexed. Was her sister's expression really that shocking..? I've never seen Haruno this rattled…

"...I can't think of anything significant on such short notice, I'm afraid. You were… about to bring up her elementary school days before she stopped you, right? I know she went to the same school as Hayama, and there was a bit of a rumour circling around Soubu about the two of them near the end of January, but as far as I know, that was all handled at the marathon…" I scratched my head while trying to think of anything that might have happened recently with Yukinoshita. If anything, Miura is the one who has changed recently… But Yukinoshita? This Valentine's Day event is the most significant thing that she's been involved with as of late, and I'm not aware of anything that might have changed… Hikigaya did say earlier that he thinks Isshiki might be avoiding her, but I don't know if that's related… "Could it just be stress? And you did broach quite a touchy subject in front of a lot of people…"

"That's what Hayato-kun thought too, but I don't buy it. She was also glaring at that brunette who came to speak with Hikigaya-kun, but Yukino-chan's never been the jealous type, at least not in any open way like that. Something is… wrong, I can feel it, but I just don't know what." Haruno crossed her arms and looked back towards the closed door, her expression still troubled. This must be a serious matter if it's affected Haruno this much…

"Hmm… Okay, let's take a small step back first – why do you think this is something that's happened recently?" Haruno's eyes met mine again when I pointed a finger at her, and she silently urged me to continue. "You said it yourself – your sister has never been one to keep her thoughts regarding other people hidden, least of all her thoughts on you. We know she keeps a cool head and acts like she has everything under control on the surface, but we also know that she tends to let things like stress build up because she doesn't want other people to see what she perceives as weakness." I crossed my own arms as well and fixed a somewhat stern gaze at Haruno. "Who says this hasn't been a long time coming, and you bringing up a subject she really does not want to revisit in front of so many people – and in the middle of an event that could be understandably stressful – wasn't simply the last straw?" My former student furrowed her brows at my words, then closed her eyes and sighed.

"...It's not that I haven't thought of that, too, Shizuka-chan. A part of me wants to believe that it is as you say, and my dear sister hates me and that I went too far this time." Haruno gestured aimlessly with her right hand as she spoke, but then let it fall limp as she opened her eyes again. Multitudes of thoughts were clearly racing behind her unfocused gaze as she turned to stare at the wall, the grip her left hand still had on her upper right arm tightening. "But the way she looked at me, and how she was glaring at that other girl… Something about it just doesn't sit right with me. She's never looked at anyone, not even me, like that before, and yet… There was something oddly… familiar about that look in her eyes as well, though I can't quite put my finger on where I might have seen it before. Regardless, the whole thing was far too different from what I know of Yukino-chan, and while I admit we aren't exactly the closest siblings, I'd say we know each other quite well." They certainly are a unique pair of siblings, that much is for certain, and unique circumstances lead to unique problems.

"You've never had any real fights as siblings before, right?" Haruno nodded to me wordlessly in reply. From what Haruno has told me, when they were younger, her sister merely accepted whatever Haruno threw at her, which then evolved into Yukinoshita electing to ignore her older sister as much as possible in their teens, so this is likely the first time she has actually gotten visibly angry… "Hmm… Well, if your sister has never gotten that angry with you before, maybe that familiarity is coming from someone else instead?" Hearing my words, Haruno's eyes met mine again, and she cocked an eyebrow at me in question. "Like – and I don't mean to pry too much into your family life here – your mother for example. Has she ever gotten mad at either you?"

"Heavens, no. At least not in any visible way. Mother is even more cunning than I am, you should be aware, and she wouldn't let something like anger show that easily. And, to be completely frank, I can't recall her ever showing any kind of strong emotion to us." Haruno quickly denied my suggestion, but then furrowed her brows again, bringing her right hand up to her chin. "...But, you might be onto something there, Shizuka-chan… Maybe I was too focused on Yukino-chan…" A few moments passed by in silence as Haruno thought, stretching into several seconds. Silently, I waited for her to speak again, watching as she closed her eyes, clearly deep in thought. "Help me out here, Shizuka-chan." Haruno then said after a small while, her eyes remaining closed.

"Hmm… Well… if not your mother, then perhaps your father? Or someone else in your family, like another close relative?" Haruno shook her head at me. "...Someone from Hayama's family? Or from one of the rich folks' parties you've had to attend? Booze and politics rarely mix well, maybe someone got particularly angry at you or your family?" Another shake of her head. "Hmm… Well, you never sought out trouble at school, but I know that people were jealous of you, so maybe someone from back then?" My words caused Haruno to open her eyes again, and she seemed to linger on them for a few moments, before her eyes widened in apparent realization.

"Shizuka-chan, do you… remember that girl who got expelled during my first year at Soubu?" Haruno asked and looked right at me.

"An expulsion? We haven't had too many of those…" I raised my gaze up to the ceiling as I recalled the time when Haruno had been my student, and her words, combined with the current context, caused a particular incident to resurface into my mind. "...Yes, I do remember. Katsura Kotonoha. That was the first time I met with your mother directly, as she wanted to sweep all the info about that incident under the rug due to your involvement." Lowering my gaze again, I met Haruno's eyes and continued in a slightly quieter and softer voice, both to consciously prevent even the slightest chance of someone overhearing our conversation, and to be mindful of Haruno, considering the sensitive nature of the subject. "If... I recall correctly, that girl believed that you were going after the boy she was interested in, and her intense jealousy caused her to resort to physical violence, right?"

"Believed is the key word there. I had no interest in that boy, but he fell head over heels for me, just like so many others did." Haruno swiftly corrected me, and I felt a slight bit of relief to see that Haruno didn't seem to mind me bringing up the incident. I know what she's like, but you can never be too careful around undoubtedly traumatic experiences. "I wasn't the only one she lashed out at, but I was definitely her primary target and the one she went after most zealously. And, as you said, Mother didn't want drama like that to stain the Yukinoshita name and made sure that nobody important remembered as much as her name. But I never forgot, at least not subconsciously, even if I tried to erase the event from my memory and move past it swiftly. That girl was a lunatic, and you've helped me remember that… the way she used to look at me was the exact same as the look that I saw on Yukino-chan's face."

Haruno's expression was deadly serious again, and I furrowed my brows as I took in her words. It's true, that incident is hard to forget. Even though it's never talked about by those in the know, I most certainly remember Katsura Kotonoha's irrational violent outbursts prior to her expulsion. But… Yukinoshita? Acting in a way even remotely similar to that? I find that hard to believe...

"...I trust that even you wouldn't joke about something like this, Haruno, but… You do realize what you're saying, right?" I briefly glanced in the direction of the kitchen door, now more mindful than ever about potential eavesdroppers. "In the first place, I'm sure we're both aware who it is she has set her gaze on, so… if we make the assumption that you're correct, are you suggesting she sees you as a potential rival?" I fixed a somewhat stern gaze on Haruno as I questioned her. I want to believe I know what her answer is, but… You can never be too certain with Yukinoshita Haruno.

"...I don't find him interesting in that way, if that's what you're asking." Haruno replied, her voice tinged with a hint of exasperation. ...I suppose I'll trust that to be the truth. At the very least, I don't think she'd do that to her sister. "No, I think Yukino-chan snapping at me... Well, I am willing to admit that me going a bit too far was a part of the reason for it, but the emotion she showed me was… misdirected. I believe it is highly likely there's someone else here today who she considers her rival, and I was simply unlucky enough to be on the receiving end of the ire meant for them due to my small provocation." Haruno paused for a moment, covering her mouth with her hand as her expression turned strained and voice became quieter. "Part of me doesn't want to believe it to be the case, but things make too much sense in my head this way. Something has happened to Yukino-chan and caused her to develop an intense obsession and jealousy akin to that one girl from back then. Unless she's always been this way..? No, I would have noticed it before, surely. It has to be a more recent development..."

I remained silent for several seconds even after Haruno finished speaking and fell back into her thoughts, closing my eyes as I thought about everything she'd said. If I looked at the situation from a vacuum and ignored everything I knew about Yukinoshita Yukino, the things Haruno said certainly made sense. However, precisely because I knew the girl in question, I couldn't just accept Haruno's words at face value, even if she was the one to make a connection between how her sister had acted and the girl who had been expelled. But… it is true that I cannot say with one-hundred-percent certainty that I know who "Yukinoshita Yukino" truly is. It is entirely possible that there are things I – or Haruno, for that matter – am not aware of, which could be causing mental stress that might push her towards acting unlike herself. I am no licensed psychiatrist and thus not really qualified to either judge or guide her in that regard, however…

These kids are still my students, and thus my responsibility.

Opening my eyes again, I fixed my gaze on Haruno, who met my eyes with her own, waiting for what I was going to say.

"I'll be honest and say that I'm not wholly convinced yet, Haruno. But, it is my duty as a teacher and guidance counsellor to take care of the students under my wing, so I will look into this and find time to speak with Yukinoshita. If your reasonings are even close to the truth, then there must be more to this all that we are not aware of, and I must help my students with any problems they might face." Haruno's expression remained as it had been as I spoke, recognising my serious tone and staying quiet. "I have but one question right now, and please answer seriously. You mentioned that there might be someone here who your sister sees as a 'rival'. Would you tell me who they are and if you think there is any possible danger to them or anyone else involved? Even if I don't quite believe that your sister would do such a thing, I cannot afford any mistakes." There's at least one person I'm thinking of, but given her proximity to the parties involved, I'd be keeping an eye on her regardless…

"...The blonde one, Miura Yumiko. She's become friends with him, but I'm fairly sure she's looking for something more than that." Haruno's response was not the one I'd been expecting, and I'm sure my surprise did not go unnoticed by her. Miura? I… suppose if we go by what happened with Katsura Kotonoha, anyone close to Hikigaya would be in danger… But, really? Miura's interested in him now as well? She had quite a high opinion of him, that's for sure… "However… As you say, Yukino-chan has never been one for violence, which, again, feeds into my own doubt. While it certainly felt like there was… dangerous intent in the look she gave me, I don't think she'd be capable of actually harming anyone out of malice."

I nodded in reaction to Haruno's words. Even if I didn't quite want to believe Haruno's theory yet, we were of one mind in at least that regard. Nothing about the Yukinoshita Yukino that both of us knew suggested she shared any traits with the former student who had threatened Haruno, least of all impulsiveness and violent tendencies. There's gotta be more to this that we're just not seeing, and while I'm sure things are not as serious as they were back then, being cautious won't hurt. Reaching a sound conclusion in my mind, my thoughts drifted back to the "rival" that Haruno had mentioned. Still, Miura, though? Hikigaya you sly dog… The day you realize what effect you have on women will be a glorious one, and I definitely want to be there to see his face when it happens. The thought of Hikigaya managing to somehow woo even Miura almost made me chuckle, but I kept it in as Haruno continued.

"In any case, regardless of whether I'm right about Yukino-chan or if I'm overthinking this… I think you should be careful too, Shizuka-chan, if you wish to remain close with Hikigaya-kun."

"C-close..?" The word escaped from between my lips before I even realized. Despite the seriousness of our conversation, I felt my heartrate suddenly spiking at Haruno's warning. Ah, pull yourself together, Shizuka! That's not what she was implying…

Turning away from my former student, I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose, partially covering my face and hiding my sudden embarrassment behind what I hoped was a convincing look of contemplation. ...Haah… Hikigaya often lets me feel young again through our conversations – and seemingly even when he's not even physically present – but it doesn't look like that's always a good thing. Thinking about the love life of the class loner as if I'm still a high school girl does not help when Haruno is telling me about how girls are falling for him left right and centre and saying such easily-misunderstood phrases. Letting out a sigh of frustration while running a hand through my hair, I ignored the budding warmth in my cheeks and turned back to Haruno, who had cocked an eyebrow at me, no doubt because of my reaction.

"Ahem. I'll be sure to keep an eye on Miura and her interactions with Yukinoshita. But, I'm still hesitant to act directly just based on your hunch, Haruno. While I am all for the idea of taking preventative measures to avoid repeating history, I need to make sure the intervening is necessary." Haruno nodded to me in response, and I gave her a curt nod of my own in return, then began to pat down my pockets. "Now, I think you've taken enough time out of my smoke break already, and lord knows I'll need one after all that…"

"Yes, go right ahead, Shizuka-chan. Make sure you remember to get that coffee by the time you get back, you wouldn't want to disappoint that charming favourite student of yours, hmm?" Clearly done with our serious conversation, Haruno grinned devilishly as she poked my shoulder with a finger. I should have known it wouldn't be that easy to fool Haruno…

"Shut up, Haruno. It's not like that, you know exactly what you said." I playfully nudged Haruno, though my voice held a tinge of frustration in it. It… really isn't like that. Not with our current roles as they are. Suddenly, our banter was interrupted when the door to the kitchen opened again, and both of us turned to see the familiar form of Isshiki Iroha peeking out.

"Ah, Haruno-senpai…" The girl froze in place as her eyes met those of Haruno, who simply smiled at her, but she quickly composed herself again and looked to me. "Thank god you're still here, Hiratsuka-sensei. Did I interrupt anything? Do you… have some time right now?" Is this… also about Yukinoshita, perhaps?

"Oh, no, you didn't interrupt anything important. We were just talking about Shizuka-chan's love life~" Haruno replied in my stead in a sing-song voice, and I fought my hardest to keep away the warmth I could feel creeping back onto my cheeks.

"Haruno!" Now somewhat annoyed, I nudged Haruno again, and my former student let out a small giggle of amusement. She's pushing this a bit too far for my liking...

"Irohasuuuu!" A sudden, booming voice that I could recognize as belonging to Tobe echoed from the kitchen, and Isshiki jumped slightly, clearly startled, before glancing back inside with a slight grimace.

"Sounds like they need you in there, Isshiki." I said to the girl with a smile, and her head quickly whipped around to look at me again. "I need to go and have a smoke anyway, so go ahead and help him. Sorry, but we can... talk later after I'm back if it's important?"

"Ah…" A quiet sound escaped Isshiki's lips as she opened her mouth, a conflicted expression on her face. "...Alright, later, then…" Isshiki's dejected tone made me feel a little bad, so I moved up to her and reached out with a hand to pat her on the shoulder and gave her some words of encouragement.

"Don't worry, you're doing absolutely fine, Isshiki, much better than I expected. I'll help you or answer any questions you have when we get the chance, alright?" The girl nodded to me quietly, and I smiled at her again. If Hikigaya is right and Isshiki has been avoiding Yukinoshita… These things might be related, or they might not. Regardless, I don't want a rift forming between my students if I have the chance to prevent it. Pulling my hand back, I turned to Haruno again and pointed an accusing finger at her. "And you stay out of trouble while I'm out. I'll… do what we discussed ASAP."

Haruno and I exchanged nods, Isshiki looking at us with slight intrigue, before another "Irohasuuuuuu!" from Tobe forced her to go back inside. After a wave directed at me, Haruno followed suit, and I was left alone in the hallway, a sigh escaping my lips when the door closed behind her. Haruno has certainly given me a lot to think about… But, first things first. Fishing out my lighter and pack of smokes, I took a few tentative steps forward, then slowly turned to glance back at the kitchen door.

Once I'd confirmed that nobody else was going to interrupt me, I grinned like a mischievous schoolgirl and began to hastily make my way outside.

---

"...How long are you planning on just standing there quietly?"

"Ah! Gefum Gee-fum! Hachiman, my dearest comrade! What a fortuitous day it is to meet you in a place such as this!"

"Uh, yeah, you already offered me that chocolate before, though. You can just talk to me, you know…" Did he really have to wait for me to acknowledge his presence..? Maybe I should have just kept ignoring him...

Letting out a small, exasperated sigh at Zaimokuza's antisocial antics, I brought the can of MAX in my hand up to my lips for a sweet, refreshing sip. Well, it's not like I don't understand him at all. This place is pretty far from his – or mine, for that matter – usual haunts, so clamming up and not really knowing what to do or say is pretty understandable. He didn't have to just stand there next to me like that and spread the awkwardness to me as well, though… Suppressing a second sigh, I let my eyes drift about the room until my gaze landed on Totsuka. He was carrying around a platter of store-bought chocolates and handing them over to people, having taken over for Zaimokuza after he'd finished passing around the pieces he'd come in with – a duty placed upon him by Miss Hiratsuka, as she had informed me when she'd returned with him in tow. I applaud the sacrifice your wallet undoubtedly had to make for this, Hiratsuka-sensei. Your noble act of self-sacrifice thusly stirs even my heart! Eugh, I think Zaimokuza's presence is affecting me...

"Mm! Truly, 'tis a wonderful sight, being able to witness the fair Totsuka like this, so demure and servile! If only he had a more fitting outfit…" Zaimokuza's words pulled me back out of my thoughts, and I glanced to my side to see his gaze also on Totsuka. Oi, why are you looking at him so intently? Do not taint Totsuka with your lecherous gaze! As I mentally chastised Zaimokuza, my gaze returned to Totsuka, and our eyes happened to meet momentarily, the boy smiling at me and offering me a small wave from across the room. W-well… I cannot disagree with his words, at least… But my actions must remain pure, even if my thoughts are anything but! That is the mark of a true man!

"...He's doing a better job at that than you were." My response caused Zaimokuza to flinch, but he remained standing and stone-faced, so I continued. "And people are actually eating the chocolates he's offering to them. I think most people were pretty apprehensive about the ones you passed around, before Hiratsuka-sensei announced that she was the one to buy them. There were definitely those who weren't convinced, though, and I think I saw a few people discreetly disposing of them." Unable to remain steadfast against my barrage of cold, harsh truths (Well, mostly truths, only embellished a little for effect), Zaimokuza lurched forward slightly, as if he'd been hit in the stomach, and a quiet groan escaped his lips. I'm really starting to see now why Yukinoshita likes doing this to me so much… Not sure if that's a good thing. Keeping my amusement to myself, I continued to observe Totsuka from a distance, but my attention was soon caught by another figure approaching us.

"Fufufuu… I think you should be a bit more careful, Hikigaya-kun." Ebina Hina spoke as she made her way to us, her apron untied and slung over a shoulder. "I can tell that Za Za Mushi has already lost a lot of life points just by being here, so your words might lead him to an early grave." The meganekko pushed up her glasses as she finished, causing the lights of the kitchen to reflect off them and obscuring her eyes momentarily.

"Gefum! Gefum! Worry not, fair Ebi, I have already grown used to my comrade's sharp tongue, so this much is not enough to take down the Blademaster General!" Zaimokuza replied, standing up straight again and pushing up his own glasses, the pair engaging in some kind of weird glasses-off. When did they get so close? Or, well, not really 'close' I guess, but… Zaimokuza isn't really that capable of communicating with girls. I suppose Ebina doesn't really act like most girls, and they worked decently well together on the Sports Festival committee…

"...What's up, Ebina? Done with your sweets?" I addressed the girl after a few quiet moments, and she shifted her gaze to me, her usual mysterious smile returning.

"Yep, I'm not that confident in my skills, so I went for a quick and easy recipe. Just popped what I made in the freezer and thought I'd come and say hello." Ebina replied as she moved to my right side, leaning against the wall next to me and leaving me between the two glasses-bearers. "I hear you were instrumental in getting this event set up, Hikigaya-kun." For a moment, I felt a chill going down my spine, as if someone was glaring at me, but a quick glance of my surroundings revealed that only Hayama and Miura were looking in my direction, the former doing so discreetly and the latter quickly turning away to focus back on her chocolates. Hm? That… felt a bit weird...

"I just recommended the community centre as the location for it, that's all. Someone else would have had the same idea, I was just the first one to say it out loud." I explained with a shrug of my shoulders and took another swig from my can of MAX. Was it just my imagination..? Or, what, is there someone here with a crush on Ebina who is now mad she's talking to me of all people? Tobe has never struck me as the type to glare at people, though...

"Well, I would say that in itself is commendable." Ebina said with a smile, then leaned forward to look past me at Zaimokuza. "Oh, right, hey, Zaimokuza-kun. Are you big into fighting games? I saw you at the arcade the other day." Zaimokuza flinched at suddenly being addressed by the girl, and his face looked like that of a deer caught in headlights. Seems like he's not quite fully used to Ebina yet, and used up all his bravado in the glasses-off. And, knowing Ebina's… eccentricity, I'm not sure Zaimokuza would ever be used to her.

"Eh? W-well… I… sometimes partake, yes…" Zaimokuza's voice was meek, and he squirmed in embarrassment, not meeting Ebina's gaze. "What might… you have been doing at the arcade?"

"Oh, I partake sometimes too. I usually have to go on my own, though, as the gang is not that into fighting games, but… maybe I'll have to start introducing them." Ebina gestured in the direction of Hayama and Tobe with a nod of her head as she spoke. "It seems I've finally managed to find out the identity of the mysterious 'General' whose high scores I've been unable to top… How about we go together some day? I'd like to try taking you on personally." Ebina's suggestion made Zaimokuza's eyes widen, and he froze in place, unable to process what she had just said, and even I was left surprised. "Come on, it'll be fun. You can come too, Hikigaya-kun." Ebina's eyes shifted to me, and I met her gaze, analyzing her expression and smile for a few moments – out of habit, more than anything – but being unable to detect anything that would suggest she was being disingenuous.

"...This is surprising, Ebina." I said in Zaimokuza's stead, who was still standing in place with his mouth hanging open. There are clearly many things I still don't know about Ebina Hina… And, I suppose, Miura is to thank for this as well. She really is managing to make a change.

"Is it? Well, I suppose it might be. I am being genuine, though." Ebina leaned back against the wall and turned her eyes to the room before us. Following her gaze, my own eyes landed on Miura as she worked on her chocolates. "Yumiko has… inspired me, you could say, so I'm trying something new. Letting my hair down and being a bit more… open about my interests. Maybe I can make some new friends along the way." Ebina turned back to me and smiled, then looked to Zaimokuza again. "So, you don't have to worry, Zaimokuza-kun, I'm not making fun of you or anything. I… know what it's like, being… the outcast, though you'll probably find that hard to believe. But… if it wasn't for Yumiko, I might have been here on the sidelines like you two right from the start." Ebina's expression held a hint of melancholy in it as she spoke, and the slight change in tone seemed to finally snap Zaimokuza out of his stupor.

"…I shall… consider the proposal." Zaimokuza finally spoke after several seconds of silence, his words hesitant, as if he didn't quite know what to say. "B-but only if… my comrade Hachiman can… be there as well…" Ebina nodded to Zaimokuza as he fidgeted awkwardly, then met my eyes again, silently asking me for confirmation.

"...Fine, I guess it wouldn't hurt." I conceded with a small sigh, and Ebina smiled at me.

"It's settled then. I'm already getting a little excited." The girl smiled widely, then reached into her pocket to pull out her phone. "You've already got my number from that Line group, Hikigaya-kun, but if we're going to seriously plan this, we need to exchange contacts too, Zaimokuza-kun." Ebina began to tap away on her phone, and Zaimokuza's eyes widened again.

"A-ah, tis' q-quite alright, as long as my c-comrade can act as the messenger, there would be n-no need for us to…" Zaimokuza was sweating bullets as he tried to reject Ebina's suggestion, but she cut off his rambling.

"It's fine, I don't mind it. And I can promise to not spam you with anything." Before he could refute, Ebina showed him her phone's screen, where her own contact details were currently displayed. "Come on, it'll be quick. Don't worry, I don't bite. Unless you want me to." The mischievous smile on her face only flabbergasted Zaimokuza more, but, unable to escape from under her gaze, he eventually gave in and silently took out his own phone as well. Yikes, Ebina has turned kinda scary… I'm feeling a bit bad for Zaimokuza here. Only a little though.

After extorting Zaimokuza's contact information from him and making sure that I had saved hers as well, Ebina bid us farewell and returned to her clique. I noticed Hayama eyeing me for a bit afterwards, but I simply stared at the opposing wall blankly instead of acknowledging his gaze, and eventually he returned his attention to Tobe. Hayama can probably guess what she did, but I doubt he heard us over all the other commotion and having to talk to Tobe. Well, it's not like I care much what he might think, but it might be troublesome for Miura's plans if he catches onto what she's scheming and that I'm involved. My gaze shifted over to the counter occupied by Miura again, the trio there still in the midst of working on their respective sweets. I'm not sure what her next move is going to be, though. The situation in her clique is pretty volatile right now, given what happened with Ooka and Yamato, so she'll need to act quick. A tug on my sleeve interrupted my thoughts, and I turned to see Zaimokuza leaning closer to me.

"What is it?" I asked as I leaned towards him in turn, seeing Zaimokuza's eyes frantically shifting between me and Ebina on the other side of the room.

"W-what was that all about? S-she was terrifying! I thought I might breathe my last!" Zaimokuza whispered to me. Yep, definitely not getting used to Ebina any time soon.

"Ah, right. I don't think you need to worry." I whispered back to Zaimokuza. "Like she said, Miura's been up to some… stuff in her clique recently, and that's caused some of them to try and be a bit more open about themselves. Ebina has also been a bit more friendly towards me. She's... a bit intimidating, I'll admit, but she seems to be serious about this, so you'll be fine." Maybe. Probably.

"B-but… they are normies! Our natural enemies!" Zaimokuza wailed in despair.

"Ebina's a pretty big otaku, though…" I replied, mentally sighing, but my attention was drawn away from Zaimokuza as I saw Totsuka approaching. "Oh! Totsuka! Did you finish distributing the chocolates?"

"Hachiman! Yes, I did. I gave the platter back to Hiratsuka-sensei, but…" Totsuka smiled at at me brightly and held out his dainty hand, where three pieces of chocolate could be found. "...I saved the last pieces for you!"

…

"...An angel has descended upon the earth." The words came out of my mouth before I could even think of them.

"...I can hear the bells tolling for us. Judgement hath come, calling us to the eternal kingdom of heaven." Zaimokuza followed up after me, similarly transfixed by the ethereal beauty of the sight before us.

"G-geez, guys, what are you on about, ahahaa…" Totsuka laughed awkwardly as a light blush coloured his cheeks. "Come on, take the chocolates, or they'll melt…" Melted chocolate is fine too… dripping all over that pristine, porcelain skin… Wait! Pull yourself together, Hachiman! Whew, that was too close. All this holy power nearly evaporated my blackened, sinful heart.

"Ah, thank you, Totsuka." I managed to speak and took a piece of chocolate from Totsuka's outstretched hand, careful not to touch his skin by accident, then elbowed Zaimokuza to snap him out of his trance.

"Y-yes, thank you kindly, fair Totsuka." Zaimokuza thanked him as well and, with a shaky hand, picked up one of the two remaining pieces.

"I saw Ebina-san with you and was going to give the last piece to her, but… I suppose this one is mine, now!" Totsuka remarked as he glanced over at Ebina on the other side of the room, then smiled and placed the last piece of chocolate into his mouth. Cute. Seriously cute. If he weren't a guy, I'd seriously drop to my knees right this instant and embarrass myself publicly by getting rejected right here and now. "What were you guys talking about with her?" He then asked while chewing.

"She invited us to go to the arcade with her. We agreed and exchanged contacts with her." I explained to Totsuka, whose eyes seemed to start sparkling.

"Ooo, that sounds fun! Do you think I could come too?"

"Yes, absolutely."

"Verily, you must."

Both of us replied to Totsuka without hesitation, Zaimokuza's words accompanied by profuse nodding. Yes! Thank you, Ebina, for allowing me this chance for a date with Totsuka… Wait, but if Ebina is going to be there too… Quickly realizing the potential consequences, I turned to Zaimokuza and pulled him close to whisper to him.

"Actually, I don't think we should take him." Zaimokuza's eyes widened as he stared at me, flabbergasted.

"What? Why do you think so, comrade?" He questioned from me, and I held up one finger to him.

"One word: fujoshi." Zaimokuza's brows furrowed and he brought a hand to his chin as he mulled the problem over.

"Hmm… It is true, we should not let the fair Totsuka be tainted by that rottenness… But… wouldn't that genre have its own appeal as well?"

"You raise a good counterpoint… We must consider this carefully and weigh all the pros and cons, but for now, let's continue with the assumption that Totsuka will also be coming." Seemingly satisfied with my answer, Zaimokuza nodded to me, and we turned to face Totsuka again, who was staring at us with a quizzical look on his face. "We'd, um… have to talk to Ebina about it, but I'm sure you'll be able to come along as well."

"Great, I'm looking forward to it! It'll be just like that one time when we got to try out the photo booth." Totsuka replied with a happy smile on his face. Ah, I recall that as well… The photo has since become enshrined in my home as a sacred item. I offer prayers to it every Sunday, but dare not even touch it lest it becomes sullied.

Afterwards, the three of us continued with occasional idle chatter while observing the cooking event from the sidelines. Some participants had, like Ebina, chosen to go for quicker recipes, so over time the amount of people chatting with each other began to outnumber those still cooking. I had tried to go and see what the trio of Miura, Yuigahama and Yukinoshita were up to at one point, but Yuigahama had shoo'd me away so I didn't "spoil the surprise". Thus, seeing as my presence was unwanted, I remained on the sidelines to quietly observe, which also allowed me to be alone with my thoughts – primarily, the number one issue which currently occupied them.

Despite my efforts to push it aside, what Isshiki had said to me at the beginning of the event still lingered. Throughout this event, I had tried to passively keep an eye on Yukinoshita, but aside from her outburst at Haruno, nothing out of the ordinary had happened. The only thing I could notice was that there seemed to be a bit of… tension between her and Miura, which had been there since the start, so I figured that they might have either purposefully or on accident started to compete with their chocolate-making. And, knowing both girls, this was not particularly noteworthy.

As for Haruno herself, she had kept from interfering further, having mostly stuck to Hayama's side and talked with him, occasionally breaking off to chat with Miss Hiratsuka or Meguri, who had arrived partway through. Isshiki was also quite focused on her own chocolate-making, but I could tell she was proceeding at a sluggish pace, perhaps still troubled by whatever she had told me about. She also seemed to have tried to get a hold of Miss Hiratsuka a couple of times, but had been prevented from doing so by the duties imposed on her as one of the people responsible for the event, as well as her own cooking endeavours. I can't shake Isshiki's face and actions from my mind, but the more I observe this… normalcy, the more I start to think this is just some… misunderstanding or something. Then again, Isshiki has been acting a bit odd for a while now, and I don't think she would act like she did today for no real reason. Thus...

...Something must have happened between Isshiki and Yukinoshita, and I just don't know what.

The whole situation was making me feel slightly uneasy, but unfortunately, as continued observation and pondering on what I knew seemed to be incapable of bringing me any closer to answers, the most refined of my 108 skills were useless. My options now would be to investigate this further and hope that I stumble across something, or try to gain more information from the parties involved. I'm not sure about going to Yukinoshita and asking her about this, especially since Isshiki did tell me to not speak to her about it, and I want to at least not betray her trust… Besides, in the worst case scenario, this could lead to their relationship souring, and I definitely don't want to be responsible for that, let alone it happening in the first place. Which means I'd have to ask Isshiki to clarify what she meant. That will have to wait until the event is over, though.

Once again returning to my previous conclusion that I couldn't do anything about the situation at this point in time, I gave up and zoned out, trying to occupy my thoughts with something else, like Komachi's entrance exams, occasionally chatting with Totsuka and Zaimokuza, or trying to comprehend what Tamanawa was doing with his hands while talking to Orimoto. For the most part, these distractions worked, but every time my eyes passed over Yukinoshita (which happened somewhat often – curse these feelings of mine!), the sense of unease would return. Combined with the premonition I'd had after Yukinoshita had snapped at her sister earlier, I was now starting to worry that I'd somehow developed the doom-seeing foresight of a Cyclops, and that all these portents were pointing at something far grander than myself in the future. As long as I don't suddenly start seeing visions of an endless icefield filled with strange rootless flowers, I should be fine, but one can never be too careful.

At one point, Meguri came up and talked with me, our conversation helping take my mind off things. Thanks to the havoc that Yukinoshita and Miura have caused to my mental defences, I almost succumbed to her ~Megu-Megu-Healing-Aura~ but managed to just about hold back so I didn't embarrass myself in public (I'm starting to notice a dangerous trend…) by requesting to have her sing me a lullaby while I napped then and there. Partially this was thanks to the fact that I could feel several pairs of eyes on us as we spoke, Meguri's presence having drawn the attention and curiosity of multiple people in the room, including but not limited to Haruno, Hayama, Orimoto, Isshiki, and even the trio of Miura, Yuigahama and Yukinoshita. This level of attention being paid to my existence was, frankly, terrifying, made even more so by the fact that I could not use my primary defence mechanism – Stealth Hikky – in that moment, and while the attention was not constant, part of me did start to wish for Meguri to move on so I could have peace of mind once more – even if I did enjoy talking with her, partly due to her aforementioned passive ability. Thankfully, after managing to even wring out a conversation out of Zaimokuza (Sasuga Meguri-senpai!), Meguri left us alone, seemingly to go speak with Isshiki and leaving the trio of Me, Myself and I alone once more. Oh, and Zaimokuza was there too, I guess. Totsuka wasn't though, as he had been pulled aside by a couple of girls who wanted him to taste-test their chocolates before putting them in the freezer.

No, I was not jealous in any way, thanks for asking. Those girls might need Valentine's Day as an excuse, but I could make chocolates for Totsuka any time I wanted! Victory for Hachiman~!

Eventually, the hustle and bustle of the cooking event started to die down and began to be replaced with more and more idle chatter as the last few people still working on their chocolates finished one by one. The fridges and freezers within the kitchen were slowly filled with plates and trays of all sorts of chocolate treats, and the cleanup operation started in earnest. As one of the people responsible for setting the event up, this was something I had to participate in, though my job mostly involved moving bowls and utensils around, first to be cleaned and dried – which was primarily done by those who had actually participated in the cooking – then to be stored in the various cupboards. As the cleaning efforts progressed, some of the girls started to break away, bringing out their completed chocolates to share with others.

A peculiar atmosphere begun to form inside the kitchen, with nervous girls looking for the right moment to give out their finished chocolates to those they were interested in, and eager boys waiting for their chance to taste the girls' hard work (or, in the case of Tamanawa, the opposite). Nobody dared to make the first move, however, especially since some were still in the middle of cleaning up, and this stalemate was starting to feel awkward. Quietly observing the – admittedly quite amusing – situation, I found my gaze wandering over to the people who were most relevant to me regarding the whole situation – Miura, Yuigahama and Yukinoshita. Yuigahama seemed to be done with her sweets, placing them from her tray into a blue paper bag, occasionally glancing between Miura and Yukinoshita, while the two of them seemed to be putting the final touches on theirs – still as focused as they had been while actually making them. They're really putting a ton of effort into these, huh..? I mean, I'm ultimately the one who will get to taste-test at least a few pieces from each, so I'm not complaining, but… did they really need to lock in so hard for this? They must have been competing against each other, or then…

...Were they making them with someone in mind?

The thought caused my chest to tighten, and I instantly felt like slapping myself for such a pathetic thought and reaction. No, Yukinoshita's never shown any interest in anyone, and Miura isn't chasing after Hayama any more. If anything… they might have been putting in the effort for me.

…

My cheeks suddenly felt hot, and I had to look away from the girls.

Now that is a pathetic thought. Holy shit, I've outdone myself within mere moments of the previous one! I mean, thinking logically, yes, we are… friends so obviously I assume they'd want to put their best work forward into obligatory chocolates, and maybe there's even some feminine pride involved with creating great-tasting sweets for Valentine's day. Not to even mention it's still highly likely that the two of them were indeed competing in some manner – at the very least, that's the impression I got through my observational skills. So, all in all, yes, both Yukinoshita and Miura did perhaps go the extra mile to make sure the chocolates they created for me would be good, and there's nothing special about that. Yuigahama… probably also did her best. At least Yukinoshita was there to oversee her, so at the very least they shouldn't be toxic. Come to think of it, though, I don't know how good of a cook Miura is…

As I was thinking things over in my head, I noticed some movement in the corner of my eye, and turned back towards the trio occupying my thoughts. Yuigahama was standing still, her eyes wide as she stared at Yukinoshita calmly and confidently walking towards me, while Miura was scrambling with her sweets in a panicked manner.

"Ah! H-hey, wait!" Miura's voice drew the attention of the people in the room, and I watched as she hastily stuffed what she had made into a transparent plastic bag. What's… going on here, then? My gaze was drawn back to Yukinoshita as she walked over to me, dark red paper bag in hand, and our eyes met.

"Um… Yo, Yukinoshita. Done with your chocolates and cleanup?" I asked from the raven-haired girl as she approached, but my attention was swiftly dragged away as Miura rushed after her, plastic bag tied with a green ribbon in a hastily-made bow in hand, and I was left dumbfounded as both girls stopped in front of me.

"Hikigaya-kun."

"Hikio!"

After addressing me simultaneously, the two girls glanced at each other, the slightest hint of annoyance appearing on their faces for a brief moment, before they looked back at me and held out their respective bags of self-made sweets.

"Please take this."

"I want you to have these!"

For the second time today, Yukinoshita had silenced the entire room, but this time with the help of Miura. Their intense gazes were locked onto me, and I felt like a deer in headlights.

...What on earth..?

---

AN: And another chonky chapter done. I did not lie when I said in the previous chapter that I'd start working on this right away, as I have actually been writing this for the past… 2 years, oof. I had the first part of it halfway done and the rest planned for ages, but as I mentioned at the start, life and other stuff got in the way. Ultimately, it turned out really great, and I'm very pleased with this chapter. I am going to have to stop making promises about chapters, now, though, but fingers crossed that I'll have at least one other chapter done during 2025!

If you want to make sure I'm still alive and kicking, go check out my socials on my profile! I'm trying to be more active but honestly not being glued to social media is only a good thing. Anyway, until next time, happy 2025 again, and cheerio!