Chapter 5: A Storm Ensues

Yuigahama POV

I was sitting in the clubroom by myself, looking out the half-open window. A small breeze filled the room with a little feeling of spring…ah spring. Spring, simbolising (synbolising? Simbowlizing? Gah forget it), new life, a new beginning, perhaps a new relationsh…nevermind. Anyway, I look around the room, seeing nobody else except myself…wait, why am I the only one here?

Where's Yukinon? She's almost always in the clubroom, with…Hikki. The thought of this one dead-fish eyed boy already ruined the mood. Thanks Hikki. Why can't you like come back—

"Yo."

"Ehh?!"I spun around, almost falling off my chair. That voice…was that…Hikki?!

Wait, but there's still no one else in the room. My eyes scanned every corner of the clubroom, but no one was there. Where did the voice come from?

"H-Hikigaya-kun..." Another voice reached my ears, and it sounded like it was coming from outside the room. The other voice must have been Hikki! He's…he's back! I jumped out of my chair and started running for the door.

The second voice, the one calling for Hikki, sounded like…Yukinon! She found him! I slid open the door and headed in the direction of Hikki and Yukinon. I rounded the corner, and saw at the end of the hallway a shadow… that must be him!

"Hikki!" There was a smile on my face…and tears?

Why tears?

I guess…I'm happy to see Hikki again…because…because…gah I just want to see him first!

I was getting closer… I was almost there… just around this corner…

I turned and stopped as my eyes found him…it was him alright. His dead-fish eyes, his little ahoge on his messy hair… it was him. I opened my mouth to yell "Hikki!" with all my might, but I stopped. Yukinon was…there. The two of them were...really…close. Did I interrupt something? Well, it's a reunion of sorts, so we should all be celebrating right?

I started walking forward until I heard Yukinon's voice again.

"H-Hikigaya-kun…you…you really…"

"Em…uh…eto…y-yes." So I was interrupting something…woops. But, I'm still part of this!

"Hikki! Yukinon! Yahallo-"

"H-Hikigaya kun…" Yukinon completely ignored me! And so did Hikki! Whyyy?! I'm like standing a few feet away from them, so they could obviously see me… but it's like they can't see me. Mou…

"Y-Yukinoshita…" Hikki, Yukinon, I'm right here you know. My eyes must be playing tricks on me, since it looks like the both of them are moving even closer. That doesn't seem…they're actually moving closer.

But…this doesn't make sense. Hikki…Yukinon…we just got back together…and…you two are already…like that. I mean, I kinda had a feeling about this.

I just hoped that this feeling wasn't actually the real thing.

H-Hikki pulled back, both their faces glaring red. It looked like he noticed something…maybe he noticed me. I saw his face start to turn in my direction.

Then Yukinon brought her hand to his face and pulled him into another kiss.

Everything was blurry now, probably from the tears. It was getting darker.

I'm still here, you know…

…Hikki…

…Yukinon…

Yuigahama Residence: 3:14 AM

"Heh?" I lifted my head, seeing darkness everywhere. I was on a bed…my bed. I looked at my clock: 3:14 AM.

It was a dream…no…a nightmare. I felt the wetness of my pillow. I had a feeling they were my tears.

It must have been a pretty scary nightmare…too bad I can't really remember.

Or maybe it's better not to remember… it might have been something really scary…like vampires or something like that…so tired.

I yawned and drifted back into sleep.

…Beep…Beep…Beep…

"Yui-chan, wake up! It's time to go to school…"

"Mou…" I turned off my alarm and stretched my arms. It's been a week since Hikki ran away, and things have been pretty weird. Everyone's still pretty shocked with Hikki running away like that… even Yumiko is a little worried. I haven't seen Yukinon as much after I stopped going to the clubroom, wait I didn't like leave her in the clubroom by herself. Hiratsuka-sensei told us that we should suspend the club for a while until things settle down, which I think makes sense, sort of. Anyway, when I saw her in the hallway, she seems more distant and cold now. Speaking of cold, it's sooooo cold outside! I mean, last week it was like getting all warmer and spring was almost here, but the day after Hikki left, it started snowing! It's like winter all over again! I'm already packed up my winter stuff in the closet, and I had to like take everything back out…the weather gods are pretty mean sometimes…After he was gone, everything just felt wrong...

"Yui-chan, are you thinking about Hikki now?"

"M-mom!" I felt my face turn burning red.

"Just get ready for school, Yui-chan. Hikki will probably come back soon."

"Mou…" My mom can be so embarrassing sometimes.

I'm walking to school now with my big fluffy coat I was going to put away for the year…oh I wish it would get warmer soon. I'm like walking through snow right now! Anyways, I turned around the corner and, like it was magic, Yukinon was there! I haven't talked to her in like forever…I mean, I tried to text her, but she seldom replies and when she does, it's only one word answers…

Yui: Yukinoonn! Yahallo!

Yukinon: Oh, Yuigahama-san, hello.

Yui: Mou…Yukinon's still so formal when texting?!

Yukinon: Yeah

Yui: Anyway, like what're you doing now? :)

Yukinon: Nothing much.

Yui: Anything funnn?

Yukinon: No…

Yui: Mou Yukinon this conversation's like making me bored.

Yui: Are you still there?

Yui: Yukinon?!

Yui: YUUUUKKKKIINNNNOOONNNN?

Yukinon: Sorry I have to go now.

"Yukinon! Yahallo!" I yelled as I caught up to her. She spun around, looking shocked, like some stranger was talking to her. Yukinon, I am no stranger! I'm like your best friend, you know. I think she finally recognized me, since she smiled a little and sighed.

"Ah, ohayou Yuigahama-san."

"Yukinon, we haven't talked for sooo long, it made me worry a little."

"Yeah, I know."

"So…how's it been?"

"Yeah."

"Oi, are you even listening to me?"

"Oh, sorry about that." She turned around and smiled, but I could kinda see that she wasn't really there. "Things are…going fine." Another bitter breeze rushed by, leaving both of us shivering.

"S-So cold" I managed to say, gripping my coat and scarf so I wouldn't freeze. "M-maybe we should talk once we get to school."

"G-Good idea." The rest of the walk to school was pretty quiet, except for the sound of my teeth chattering. So cold.

We arrived at school a few minutes early and parted ways once I got to my homeroom, Class 2-F. I slid open the door and saw the familiar faces in the room: Tobechi, Hayato, Hina.

"Hayato! Tobechi! Hina! Yahallo!"

"Oh, ohyaou Yui-san," Hayato greeted with his usual charismatic grin.

"Yo!" Tobechi chirped.

"Yui!" Hina exclaimed. "Oh my god, it's been like, forever, because of the snow and all, and the weather's all crazy all of a sudden, totally messing with everyone, you know, and…" And there goes Hina.

"Alright class, please take your seats, we're starting class now" Hiratsuka-sensei said as everyone shuffled back to their chairs.

After modern Japanese history, which I totally couldn't get, the bell rang for lunch. I was just about to leave the class when…

"Ah, Yuigahama, can I talk to you for a moment?"

"Eh? Um sure sensei." Hiratsuka-sensei closed the door behind us and took a seat. Did I do something wrong today, cause Sensei doesn't look too happy…Sensei then sighed before starting.

"Yuigahama, you remember when I told both you and Yukinoshita that the club should be put on temporary leave while Hikigaya-kun is still…absent." Sensei's mentioning of…Hikki brought a small chill to my spine, but also a little warmth to my cheeks. "Well, it turns out that Yukinoshita has still been going to the clubroom."

"By herself?" I suddenly felt a sense of guilt on the inside. I mean, Yukinon's been going to the clubroom all by herself for over a week? I feel so bad for her…I should've checked the clubroom last week anyway…but why is she still going?

"I'm afraid so, and I acknowledge that it is my fault for not paying closer attention to this." Hiratsuka-sensei sighed again and shifted her chair. "It seems that Yukinoshita does not intend to stop attending club meetings, so I would like you to go today and see how she's doing, if that's okay with you."

"Yeah, that's fine with me." I was actually pretty fired up for the first time this week. I realized that I was subconsciously trying to ignore the issue, but I got it all figured out! And it only took me a week to do it. Take that Hikki! Mou, always calling me an airhead.

The rest of the day went by really quickly…like before I knew it, it was the end of the day. I don't even remember having lunch today…wait, did I have lunch today? Anyway, that does not matter now. What matters now is going to the clubroom and helping Yukinon out. I march straight out of the classroom in the direction of the clubroom. I know she needs me, and I need her just as much, so this is what I have to do. Go Yui! Let's do this—

Bonk!

Kyah! My head like totally hurts! What just happened?! Did I just walk into a wall or something? I opened my eyes, still trying to keep my balance, and see the wall right in front of me. I did walk straight into the wall during my motivational thinking! Mou…

Alright, focus, focus…how could I be so clumsy?

I slowly make my way towards the clubroom now, since my vision is still a little blurry. Since today's all cloudy from the snow, the hallways seem so much grayer and stuff, which doesn't help my eyesight. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I spot two shadows at the end of the hallway towards the left. The clubroom was to the right, but I decided to glance towards the left as I got to the corner. I turn my head left to see two people…like…pretty close to each other. I couldn't make out their faces, but it seemed…familiar. Déjà vu, I think… I blink my eyes and my vision got a little clearer, but the two people disappeared.

Gah, that's like so scary! Is this school haunted or something?

Finally, I made it to the clubroom…and Yukinon's inside. This is the first time in a week since I've been in the clubroom, what am I going to do? Ok, I'll just talk about random nonsensical things like I always—wait, I can't do that this time. I gotta like do something about this problem. Alright, I can do this. I close my eyes and take a deep breath, and my inner me says "Go Yui!"

Thanks!

I open my eyes and slid open the door to see Yukinon sitting at her usual end of the table.

"Yukinon! Yahallo!" I chirped. I expected her to be totally surprised I was there, since I wasn't for a whole week. Then she would be all like "Why are you here" and I'll explain it to her, and everything will be back to flowers and sunshine, and …

And that did not happen. Mou…

Well, she did seem a little surprised, but for like the wrong reason! It looked like she was staring at me like some stranger, again! We've been over this Yukinon, I'm not a stranger! Then (again) she recognizes me, and proceeds to say "Ah, good afternoon Yuigahama-san" before returning to her light novel. That was like so anticlimactic, right? There's like so much to talk about Yukinon, y'know, about why you've been coming to club with nobody else and I suddenly pop in without telling you. I wouldn't say it's rude or anything, but…

Wait, something's totally not right. Rewind…

The rest of the day went by really quickly…nope too far.

Wait, something's totally not ri—mou… to recent.

"Ah, good afternoon Yuigahama-san" before returning to her light nove—L-LIGHT NOVEL?!

Yukinon…light novel. Yukinon- Light novel. Yukinon DOES NOT READ LIGHT NOVELS! Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhh?

"Yukinon… whatcha doin'?"

"Reading." My eye twitched a little bit.

"Whatcha readin'?"

"A light novel."

I walked over towards Yukinon and took a seat. "And why are you reading a light novel?"

"That is a good question, Yuigahama-san, which I believe I do not have a concrete answer for just yet."

"Eh…w-what's that supposed to mean?"

Yukinon looked up at me before giving a slight smile. "Simply, I don't know."

Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhh?

My shock was replaced with curiosity as I tilted my head to see what she was reading:

My Teenage Romantic Comedy is Wrong, As Expected Vol. 12 by Wataru Watari. [1]

"Yukinon, aren't those the type of books Hikki reads?" Oh no I said Hikki's name, I shouldn't have! Mou…

"Hmm, it is true Hikigaya-kun does take an interest in these…light novels, but I do not see a correlation between his interest and the fact that I am currently reading a light novel."

The world is upside down. Wait…

Gah! I like totally forgot that I was supposed to talk to her about something really important! I was so caught up with this light novel thing that I got distracted…but now I can ask her!

"Yukinon…why have you been coming to the Service club by yourself this week?" She looked up from her book, with a look of finally understanding why I was here today. It was like a look of surprise and confusion, which made me a little confused.

"Well…um…" She was really thinking right now. Like, I accept I'm not the smartest person, but I don't think this question really requires so much thinking. What really requires thinking is math. Like, why does Algebra II exist if Algebra I is already so difficult?

There was silence for a good minute while Yukinon thought about her response. Meanwhile, I was alternating between staring at her face and her light novel, which I still can't believe she is reading. Surprisingly, after all that time, I was the one who broke the silence.

"Yukinon, it's okay if you're coming to the club and all…" I started, looking at her blue eyes. "But since we're like really really good friends, it's nice if we stick together when one of us is having trouble." I then looked down at the table as a passing thought of Hikki flew by. "I think you'd agree that both of us have had enough trouble this week."

Yukinon was totally staring at me in shock. It's like she is in disbelief that I can speak such meaningful sentences. Mou, Yukinon that hurts my feelings! I can be meaningful too y'know!

It's always Yukinon and Hikki, poking at my airheaded personality. Well, it's really everyone, but mostly those two! Again, my mind gets all fuzzy as the thought of Hikki and Yukinon seems to ring a bell. I can almost remember it, like earlier when I was walking down the hallway, but it's just out of reach. Mou, this is soooo frustrating!

Alright, back to Yukinon. After a few seconds, her expression softened, and a little smile formed.

"Yuigahama-san, thank you for your kind words." She shifted a little before looking at me. "I don't know if I deserve to have a friend like you."

Yuuuukiinoooooon I want to hug so much right now! And that's exactly what I did.

"Yukinon!" I jumped out of my seat and hugged her. I wasn't really paying attention during the hug, so I was surprised when Yukinon was hugging back.

I felt happier, and I'm sure she did too.

If only this could last like forever…

"Yui-senpai! Yukino-senpai!" The door slammed open as a familiar peach-haired kouhai burst into the clubroom. Mou…Iroha-chan, we were in the middle of something very important!

"Eh-heh heh, I think I just interrupted something very important, woops." Iroha-chan says apologetically. I quickly separate myself from Yukinon and put on a slightly annoyed face.

"You sure did Iroha-chan." Then, I suddenly felt a little confused. "Eh? How'd you know both of us were here today?"

"Ah! Hiratsuka-sensei told me!" Hmm, I guess Sensei officially reopened the Service Club.

Well, I'm not complaining.

"Well, it seems as though the Service Club has resumed operations. Isshiki-san, have a seat." Yukinon waved her hand towards the empty seat in front of us. She like completely did a 180 in character, after all that happened. It's like that didn't even happen at all! Yukinon, you can be scary sometimes.

And with that, the Service Club is back!

"Alright Isshiki-san, does this request involve your responsibility as Student Council President?" Yukinon inquired.

"Eh? How'd you know already?!" Iroha-chan made a shocked face. Well, that's really the only reason why you come to the club anyway, so…

"Don't worry Iroha-chan, just tell us our next adventure!" I smiled with excitement. It's our first request in forever, so I'm psyched!

"Well, remember that Christmas collaboration event with Kaihin Sougou High?"

"Yeah! That was the time you had to plan that Christmas party, so you got Hikki—"

"That's right." Iroha-chan interrupted. She looked a little less comfortable after I mentioned Hikki. She glanced at Yukinon for a second, and Yukinon looked back. What? Alright, I'll keep talking then.

"The event was so awesome, well after me and Yukinon helped out. Trying to get Hikki to do everything, even he needs a break sometimes—"

"Yes, that event was a success for both schools, and I believe Isshiki-san is hinting at an event similar to that. Please continue." Eh, Yukinon too? Why are you two ganging up on me now? How rude…

"Alright, so as I was saying," Iroha-chan then started pouting. "The student council from that school wants to collaborate again for a graduation ceremony! I mean that sounds like a great idea and all, but that means a lot more work for our council, which means more work for me!"

"Which means more work for us" Yukinon replied. Iroha-chan nodded as I thought about what she just said. A graduation ceremony? That sounds cool, celebrating the seniors from both Chiba and Kaihin Sougou High.

"So, like, combining the two ceremonies into one giant celebration? That sounds difficult, but really fun!" I exclaimed.

"Right, Yui-senpai? They want things like fireworks and food and—"

"Fireworks? That's like totally awesome! Will they be as large as the ones at Destinyland?"

"Yeah! Those ones were huge! I remember it being so bright when…" Iroha-chan stopped, and I remembered what happened then. She confessed to Hayato at Destinyland, and was rejected. I feel bad for bringing it up now. Stupid Yui!

"Oh, um, sorry for bringing that up, I like forgot about that, but I'm sure you'll get to Hayato. Though I'm friends with Yumiko, I can see you…eh, Iroha-chan?" It seems as though my words made her even less comfortable, and now she was visibly sad.

"Heh, funny" she said, puzzling me even more.

"Um, Yuigahama-san, I think it would be more productive if we continue with the request at hand," Yukinon said, her expression unchanged. This seems to get Iroha-chan back, so thanks Yukinon! You're the best!

"Alright then! Will you accept my request then?" I looked at Yukinon, and when she looked back, I knew that we were in agreement. She tilted her head towards Iroha-chan, but didn't say anything. Oh, she wants me to say it!

"Iroha-chan," I started, before giving her two thumbs up, "you can count on us!"

"Thank you so much!" she replied with enthusiasm. I looked around the room, seeing both Iroha-chan and Yukinon happy about our upcoming request. This made me really happy too.

Maybe, just maybe, we could be happy even if Hikki wasn't there. Wherever he is, he probably wants us to be happy, since worrying about him so much would make us sad, and that would make him sad. Hikki, even though you're a jerk for leaving us…I can kinda see your demented logic, I think.

"Oh, I forgot one thing" Iroha-chan added. Both me and Yukinon faced her, and I saw Iroha-chan a little off.

"Yes, Isshiki-san, please continue."

"Since I thought this request would be a lot for us to do, I asked someone to help us." Oooh that sounds nice! But, would that make him Hikki 2.0?

Actually, no, nobody could replace Hikki that easily.

"So, who is this person?" I asked with curiosity. Yukinon also looked somewhat curious in this mysterious person who will save us from all this work!

Iroha-chan started, "He's…"

Yes?

"…Hayato Hayama."

I froze.

Number 1: Totally NOT Hikki 2.0

Number 2: Did the room like get ten degrees colder?

[1]: Wataru Watari, as mentioned in the previous chapter, is the author of the light novel series Oregairu.

A/N: Well, there are many reasons why this chapter took five months to make. Mostly laziness, and lost inspiration. But let's put that in the past. Now to this chapter: it's awesome to write from Yui's perspective. So is roasting Wataru Watari. Sorry man, but the story's Wataru Watari released Volume 12 before this universe did.

Also, you have to feel bad for Yui sometimes, she just doesn't know what's going on. Correction: nobody knows what's going on, except me.

I can't say see you next week, since that would be an absolute which I can't guarantee. So I'll say see you soon.