The woman doesn't acknowledge that she's been making herself scarce, and Hachiman isn't brave enough to ask. His bad mood, at least, doesn't really get worse, even if it doesn't get better. Maybe, it mellows out: if nothing else, he tries not to rock the boat too much with Yuigahama and Yukinoshita, since the Service Club's hours still force the three of them into regular proximity, and he doesn't want them asking him any questions.

He doesn't think they'd believe him, even if he told them.

And then, on top of it all, there's Sagami. She keeps making a point of reminding Hachiman in passing that she recalls that he exists, and he keeps determinedly ignoring her. What Hachiman would really like is to tell Sagami where she can shove it, but she's been too smart to give him the opportunity, keeping their interactions as brief and one-sided as humanly possible without it looking too odd to bystanders. Hopefully, she'll give up soon, but her persistence is almost impressive, as much as it's frustrating. And she's not exactly waiting around for Hachiman's cooperation, either. He thinks that by Wednesday, everyone in class has noticed the tension between Sagami and Miura, and the occasional skirmishes in the hallways. A prelude to all-out war.

Of course, Hachiman isn't lucky enough for his irritations to remain confined to his classroom or to his recently bizarre personal life. Also by Wednesday, Yukinoshita starts asking questions.

When Yuigahama excuses herself to go to the restroom, Yukinoshita snaps her book shut and considers Hachiman coolly down her nose.

"If you're sick, I don't want you in here," she tells him, blunt as ever. He can at least appreciate her directness. "I don't need to catch anything from you."

"Maybe I am coming down with something," Hachiman allows, because it's better than, horror of horrors, trying to confide in Yukinoshita about his pathetic feelings. That'd be like rolling over and bearing his belly to a polar bear.

Yukinoshita sniffs. "I won't repeat myself." She waves him off, like he's a dog. "Shoo."

It's as good of an excuse as any. If Yukinoshita were anyone else, he might've actually mistaken her desire to be rid of him for concern.

But Yukinoshita's already made every stance she has about Hachiman perfectly clear. He won't insult her by doubting her forthrightness now.

XXX

Komachi won't be home yet, it occurs to Hachiman, just as he's wandering out through the school's main gate. The weather is still chilly and sunless, as it had been since late that Sunday, and if he goes back to the house now, it'll be empty save for him and Kamakura.

The thought isn't unappealing. If Kamakura deigns to cooperate, Hachiman might be able to curl up on the couch with a blanket and his cat, and do absolutely nothing for a few hours. But that uncharacteristic restlessness still clings to him, and something twists in Hachiman's gut at the thought.

Instead, he starts to head to the library. But then, Hachiman recalls: Libraries are underappreciated in this era. He recalls, also, the tube-spear in his pocket.

In the end, nebulously irritated, Hachiman decides to go to the nearest bookstore, to see if there's any new light novels that look good. Crows fly overhead, cawing, and he wonders if it's been a good season for them, since it feels like he's been seeing more of them.

Hachiman makes his way to the shopping district closest to Sobu High. There's bound to be other students there, but he doesn't expect anyone to hassle him, or for anyone to even really recognize him.

But Hachiman just can't catch a break. At the shotengai, he walks by the entrance to an arcade, and someone calls out from within.

"Hikitani!" exclaims a voice Hachiman knows. Hachiman stops and turns, frowning, only because he can immediately identify the owner.

Sure enough, it's Hayato Hayama half-jogging out of the arcade after Hachiman, waving and smiling winsomely. Like he's actually happy to see Hachiman.

Hachiman scowls. Who the hell is Hikitani?

But then, maybe he should just be impressed that someone like Hayama had tried to remember his name at all.

"Hikitani," Hayama repeats, reaching him. No, Hachiman isn't actually impressed about that at all. "I've never seen you around here before. Heading home?"

Hachiman instinctively tries to return Hayama's good cheer, despite himself, but only winds up grimacing awkwardly, unable to make eye contact.

Dammit, he snaps, if only to himself. I instantly admitted defeat.

Hachiman shakes his head to clear it. In explanation, he says: "Bookstore."

Hayama perks up, projecting interest and appreciation. He's so bright, Hachiman might really catch fire and die, like the evil witch in some fairy tale.

"So you're a reader, huh?" Hayama posits. "That makes sense, since you're friends with Yukinoshita."

"Friends is a strong word…" Hachiman protests weakly.

Hayama laughs, like Hachiman had made a joke, and not that Hachiman himself is the joke. Even though Hachiman rather believes that the latter is the real truth.

"But, actually…" Hayama goes on. He rubs the back of his neck, sheepish. "It's kind of lucky for me, to have run into you like this. I've been meaning to talk to you."

Hachiman's eyebrows shoot up.

"About Yumiko and Sagami," Hayama specifies.

Ah, Hachiman thinks. He glowers, but Hayama doesn't seem deterred. That's what he wants.

"It really doesn't have anything to do with me," Hachiman maintains.

"I know that," Hayama agrees smoothly. "But I noticed that Sagami's been talking to you, so…" He shrugs. "I was hoping you'd know something I didn't, or maybe that you'd have an idea about how to get the two of them to leave each other alone."

"Talking is a strong word," Hachiman says, more firmly than before. He's only ever had the one real conversation with Sagami, if that.

But there's an exhausted, beseeching quality to the angle of Hayama's smile, and Hachiman can already feel himself starting to cave. The discord amongst their peers must really be getting to Hayama, and why wouldn't it? Hayama is a good person, who dumps way too much of his energy into other people's problems on the mistaken assumption that everyone means as well as he does.

Hayama shouldn't have to look so helpless.

"I'll buy you coffee," Hayama offers, and Hachiman slumps.

He won't say no to free food.

XXX

Hayama lets his buddies know that he's stepping out for a bit, and he leads Hachiman to a nearby cafe. It's not as trendy as Kamiki the Elder's place, but still plenty trendy, with a sleek, verdant outer deck and stylishly wooden furniture. Hayama fits right in; Hachiman feels like a mountain troll.

Hayama situates them at one of the tables on the deck, which is squashed between the little cafe and the shopping district's street. Hayama sits with his back to the street, and Hachiman sits opposite him, back to the cafe.

Hayama doesn't bring Miura and Sagami up until after they've ordered and received their drinks, and Hachiman can hide behind his cup. Really, Hachiman shouldn't be surprised. He already knew that Hayama was a considerate person.

"Could you tell me what Sagami told you?" Hayama asks, finally. "I know you said it wasn't much, but every little bit might help, if it's not too personal."

Hachiman does, in fact, hide behind his coffee, but he still snorts. "Sagami wouldn't tell me of all people anything personal." But Hayama is looking directly at him, so earnest and handsome and normal that it's unfair, so Hachiman makes himself add, "She just wanted to see where I stand, and if I'd back her up against Miura. I said I didn't want anything to do with it, and ever since then, Sagami's just been… I don't know, staking her territory? Showing off that someone who got into it with Miura in front of everyone tolerates her? Which I don't, for the record." Hachiman scowls. "It's just a straightforward power play. Not that Miura could care less."

This all seems very obvious to Hachiman, but Hayama is blinking at him, at a loss.

"It's a power play?" Hayama hazards. "But… why? What does Sagami get out of it?"

Hachiman stares back at him, taken aback. But, in hindsight, he supposes most guys aren't as preoccupied with girl politics as he is. Hachiman's natural predator is the teenage mean girl, so he's studied their tactics, which someone like Hayama would never have to do. Hayama was born likable.

Hachiman heaves a big, heartfelt sigh. How to explain?

"Hayama," he starts, already tired. "What do you think is going on with Miura and Sagami?"

"They must've had some kind of disagreement," Hayama reasons, but with uncertainty now. He shifts in his seat. "But still, they're friends. I want to help them get through it, if I can, since I'm friends with Yumiko too."

Hachiman sets his cup down to lean over the table with one forearm, and with the other arm's hand, he points at Hayama as if cocking a gun. "Bzzt. Wrong."

Hayama's mouth opens. It closes. He frowns, but inclines his head for Hachiman to go on, listening intently. Honestly, it's kind of off-putting, for someone to be all ears to Hachiman so willingly. But if nothing else, Hayama will take him seriously, Hachiman is confident.

"I don't know them, so I don't know if they're friends or not," Hachiman continues, perhaps despite his better judgment. "But that's got nothing to do with what's happening now, either way. Hayama, you know how soft power works, right?"

Hayama's mouth quirks up into a wry, slightly rueful smile. "My father is a lawyer."

"Right." Hachiman nods. "So, out of all the girls in our grade, Miura has the most soft power. Sagami's up there too, but…" Hachiman shrugs. Sits back in his chair, crossing his arms. "She's not where Miura is, and she wants to be. Up until recently, Miura's been pretty much bulletproof, but the other day…"

"That argument," Hayama completes, unhappily.

Hachiman nods again. "Exactly. That much pushback, in front of so many people?" He doesn't really smile, because it's without humor, but Hachiman is sure that it's as terrible as he's been informed any of his smiles are. "Sagami must've felt like her birthday had come early."

"And so she wanted an…" Hayama searches for the appropriate word. "... Alliance? With you, if not with Yukinoshita, who. Um."

"That wasn't going to happen," Hachiman concurs. He doesn't even attempt to break down the gender dynamics of the situation to Hayama, which Hachiman doesn't even have that thorough of a grasp on in the first place.

Hayama shakes his head. He then moves on. "So, Sagami wanted an alliance with you, or at least the appearance of an alliance. So her position would look stronger."

"That's what I figured, anyway."

Hayama slumps into his seat. "No, I think you're right. What a mess…" He straightens, a bit, and smiles at Hachiman properly. It's the kind of smile that exorcizes evil spirits, full of a camaraderie that Hachiman does not in the slightest share. "But, thank you, Hikitani. I wouldn't have come up with any of this on my own. Talking to you really was the right move."

Hachiman's scowl deepens. If you're so thankful, why don't you use my actual name?

He's about to snap as much, too. Except that, just then, Hachiman is distracted, initially just for a second. Over on the street, within the moderate throng of pedestrians, he spots what he briefly thinks is a man wearing an intensely shiny, intensely red-blue hat.

But it's not a hat, Hachiman realizes. The crowd parts somewhat, and he sees that it's actually, impossibly, the top of a red-blue dodecahedron.

Except, Hachiman realizes further, that it isn't really red, blue, or a dodecahedron. It kind of looks like a dodecahedron, but also, painfully, like two misshapen spheres, one a dull red and the other a sky blue, existing superimposed into each other. The first association that surfaces within Hachiman's brain is Evangelion's Ramiel, but that's not quite right. Then, it reminds him of descriptions of Biblical ophanim more directly. But then, really, it just calls to mind a Bethesda player model glitched through a wall.

But all of that is wrong, because the dodecahedron, the spheroid, the shape doesn't precisely look that much like anything Hachiman can name. It's constantly undulating, nauseatingly, like it just can't keep its insides… well, inside. Hachiman has no clue which color is which, but when its blue bits poke out and touch the air, they seem almost to evaporate. Break off and disappear. Digitize, in a flash of electric, red sparks of delicate circuitry.

They melt, almost, or rapidly decay. Ooze.

It's the size of a person, and floats above a much smaller, much flatter base of likewise uncertain proportions, which itself floats maybe a foot off the ground. Slowly, the construct advances down the street, starting and stopping and bumping into people like some incredibly sinister Roomba.

But when it bumps into people, it bumps partially through them.

No one else can see it, Hachiman realizes, at length. Hayama is trying to say something to him, also. Act natural.

If that thing notices Hachiman, he can't imagine that anything good will come of it. He can't imagine he'll achieve very much with the tube-spear.

Shoving down the rising, bone-deep horror as well as he can, Hachiman asks Hayama, "Sorry, could you repeat that?"

Hayama frowns at him, concerned, and obliges. "Are you ok?"

"I left my club early because I felt sick," Hachiman quietly lies. Without consciously intending to, he wraps one arm around his stomach and plasters the other's hand over his mouth. He feels clammy, and it wouldn't be odd if he's begun to turn green. "But then it went away, so I thought I'd stop by the bookstore, but now…" He hunches over himself. "I should really go home."

Hayama gets promptly to his feet. Fishing out his wallet and then bills from the wallet to leave on the table to cover their drinks, he says, decided, "I'll take you."

Behind Hayama, the inhuman thing floats glacially closer, though at an angle to the pair of them.

Wildly, Hachiman thinks, I can't just ditch him here.

So as much as he wants to protest, he nods. Then, Hachiman knocks back his coffee in three large, quick gulps, and forces himself to stand, pushing up with both hands off the table.

Hayama stares at him.

Hachiman squints back at Hayama. "What? No point in letting perfectly good coffee go to waste."

Hayama laughs a little, baffled but not displeased. He says, "Okay." And then, "I'll text the guys that something came up, so let's get out of here."

It takes every ounce of discipline within Hachiman not to sprint away at top speed.

XXX

Note: School started back up again, so if my updating schedule gets wonky, that's why. Bleh.