A Loner's Explanation II
Hikigaya POV
The conversation went back and forth between the request and whatever Shiromeguri had in mind to talk about. Even with my disinclination for social interaction over the phone, it was the least I could do for her; I did just ask a significant request of her.
It was obvious that our goals were aligned: we both wanted this festival to be a success. In the end, Shiromeguri was the one to make it a reality. Not only does her experience as former president make her the person for the job, her connections with the council also give her the free pass in terms of finding out about the entire event. It would have raised suspicion if another student had showed up to help the council, or more likely Hiratsuka-sensei. Rarely would a teacher interfere, and if so my cover could have been figured out by Yukinoshita or Isshiki. Perhaps Yuigahama as well.
Any information about my situation would definitely throw everything they have been working for out of the window, so this secrecy was integral to the plan. Shiromeguri understood up to this point; nothing seemed to raise any danger flags so far.
Damn this formality sounds way too much like Yukinoshita.
"Alright, make sure Haruno doesn't make you do anything stupid. I don't want anything bad to happen to my kouhai, got it?"
"Got it, thanks for all of this though."
"No problem! It's so nice you're doing this all for Yukino-chan!"
"Mm...wait I never said I was doing it for Yukinoshita specifically."
"Eheh, anybody could tell, even if you don't believe it yourself. Your relationship with her is something even I get a bit jealous of sometimes, but that's unimportant. I'm sure she's grateful to have you. Anyway, after all this blows over she'll tell…"
"Huh, tell me what? That I've screwed up yet again, only this time Haruno is also partially to blame so I should keep my Hikigerms from infecting her family members too?" Shiromeguri started cracking up.
"So funny Hikigaya-kun, but nope! You'll understand what I meant eventually," she giggled, obviously withholding some piece of information from my knowledge. As much as I would rather be enlightened by her insight, there were more important matters to focus on.
"Alright, thanks again for your help. I hope everything turns out okay on your end."
"Haha, definitely! Likewise, Hikigaya-kun!" We ended our conversation on that note, and I sat back and mused over the incoming few weeks. I set the ball rolling a bit, so now I am back to being an observer under Haruno's supervision. How lucky I was; it was still confusing to figure out her reasoning behind this entire scheme.
"So you chose Shiromeguri-chan...your logic is spot on as usual." She paused for a moment, her eyes dimming. "But don't assume everything will turn to normal after this."
"So you're not satisfied yet," I replied, those words leaving a bitter taste in my mouth. "By their-no, her reaction."
It was now Haruno's turn to giggle. "Perhaps, though you are most likely feeling the same way, even if you verbally deny it. That reminds me, since you are alleviating the current situation, it may still interfere with my intentions." Her face entered a state of thinking, and whatever she was trying to figure out was something I was obviously afraid of. "Their next meeting is in two days, right?"
I cleared my throat. "Apparently."
She smiled. "Looks like we're heading taking a short trip back. I do miss my little sister, so I'd like to have a nice chat with her."
Two days later, the car was prepared and we headed back home. It took several weeks, but I was finally going to step foot in the city I call home. The problem is that it was in no way over; this demon Yukinoshita sister is definitely dragging me back to that accursed estate after this brief encounter. I was thinking she was plotting to throw a wrench into the already fragile resolution I half-baked on the spot to salvage the senior festival, but she seemed too invested in her younger sister that the focus fell more on her than the rest of them.
Again, I found myself wondering what in the world was going through Yukinoshita's mind over these weeks. The point I convinced myself multiple times was that we weren't friends, so her perception of me was that of a clubmate, perhaps an acquaintance, but nothing more. It was sound in logic I've spent years honing through the life of a loner. These relationships were superficial, created once one has spent long enough time with another person where being complete strangers would become unbearably uncomfortable. That applied to most people, though I would find solace in the lack of unwanted attention. Yukinoshita was not much different, though she still showed the social aptitude to fulfil her crafted image as a role model student. We were in the Service Club together, and that is what tied the three of us into a group. Through that, my interactions with others had taken an unexpected turn upwards, to a level I would normally never be comfortable with.
And yet, I continued to say that I was a loner. It was true; even with new interactions, my philosophy and presence remain. Within my own realm, I retained these loner qualities. However, if one chose to believe that the self is also partially defined by its surroundings and the people there, I would have to say that things have changed, which came with blunt clarity once my physical self was removed from the equation.
Yuigahama reacted in a way I was not too surprised by; her emotions and personality showed that she did care, that her intentions were not superficial. She was a nice girl, but deep down she held a bit of something genuine. Isshiki's confession had me surprised as well, though in retrospect I had passed off many things I had done as simple favors for her. If I had to say, spoiling her a bit too much as a kouhai….damn even though she was an uncute Komachi I fell through with the instinct of an older brother. But that doesn't discount Isshiki and her intentions; they contained a semblance of genuity as well.
Yukinoshita's case proved more of a puzzle than a cipher that scrambled every time a certain part was solved. Her initial lack of reaction was what I had expected after all; she acknowledged me as no more than a human being. Even with Yuigahama's overreactions and Isshiki's confession, she held her ground. But the subtle changes in her character and actions over time made little sense; even when Hiratsuka-sensei called off the club meetings, she stubbornly continued to sit in her usual seat, cup of tea in one hand, and a piece of literature in the other. That was until she brought a light novel with her. Haruno almost lost it and eyed me with that devilish grin on her face at this fact, which I had to brush off. It was unlike her after all the abuse I faced over my choices of reading. A light novel of all things to be in her possession at this point in time was beyond comprehension. Her iciness was also much more subdued, unless it was directed toward an enemy like Hayama, the gilded prince of Sobu.
Of course, at first glance it seemed like she was colder than ever over the first few weeks, limiting contact with acquaintances, but as a loner, I could see the guise through without doubt. The challenge became figuring out the truth behind her prolonged reaction.
That may be the purpose of today, as I could tell. Saying that I was not at all interested in finding out this answer would be a lie, yet I held reservations because of about the chaos that would most likely transpire. A first grader could tell that Yukinoshita was not quite her typical self in recent days, and although Yuigahama may seem fit to retake some of those elementary classes, her expressions give the impression that she can tell.
Haruno obviously noticed, or this entire encounter would not have happened in the first place. In any case, this fateful encounter won't end lightly for either of them...and definitely not for me.
For once in my life, can the rom-com gods do something to stop this dramatic mess?!
The familiar skyline appeared as we entered the district, the sun already winding down from its highest point. School was just about to finish, meaning that the student council would be meeting soon.
"The cameras in Chiba still work, unless you worked something into your plan as well so I wouldn't be caught?" I stated, eyeing Haruno's face as she gazed out towards the buildings.
"You're right that Chiba's security system would spot you very quickly, except for one particular location."
With that, an unrealistic yet still concerning idea popped into mind. She's going to drop me in some random forest, it was her plan all along! I knew she was out to kill me the moment she handed me that MAX coffee!
Shut up Hachiman, you know that's not what she's doing.
"You're probably familiar with this place by now, even if you haven't been here physically." She smirked, as if musing over her own play of words like some evil mastermind out of a western movie. To be honest, most of her actions up to this point mirror the signs of a villian, so I wouldn't be too surprised.
The car turned the corner, arriving at a very familiar location, to say the least.
To think the first time I would visit Yukinoshita's apartment would be an uninvited one. If I had to ever imagine how the this event would have gone, it probably would have involved a much less controversial activity...I don't know like studying or a Service Club request. Not barging in for a few hours while her nee-san (whose kept me hostage this entire time) goes to push her buttons yet again so that something out of my control occurs, while I sit around and do nothing about it.
Before I realized, Haruno waved goodbye and her limo drove out of sight. I turned to face the living room of Yukinoshita's apartment, partially in confusion and in resignation.
Yukinoshita's apartment, huh. I couldn't help but notice the faintest of warmth appearing around my cheeks, which once I noticed became much more obvious.
It's a girl's apartment, for crying out loud, Yukino Yukinoshita's place to be specific. If this were normal encounter I would definitely not be so flustered. Not even a little bit! I eventually regained a sense of composure to sit down in a chair and pull out a light novel from my bag. I only had the pass the time until the two of them come back, where I can then leave this place.
The afternoon sun made its slow yet steady movement, casting longer shadows in the room as I continue to flip through the pages of The Rising of the Shield Hero [1]. However, I found my eyes wandering off the page, instead observing the small details around the room. There were several bookshelves filled with literature, as expected from the intellectual. Other than that, it should have felt like a typical student's apartment, yet I kept looking around, eventually leaving the light novel in my hand neglected. After eyeing the room for much longer than I had originally hoped, I steeled myself to continue reading, clearing my throat as a signal to come back to my senses. Unfortunately, my throat was too dry to clear much at all. It would be nice to have a drink right about now.
I suppose going to the kitchen to drink some water would be the simplest idea, so I put the novel down and got up. From what I remembered, he kitchen was down the hall to the left... an apartment that had multiple rooms in this part of town would have equalled the cost of a full-sized house; I'm sure in reality it was at least five times the price with whatever stuff was added to make it a true Yukinoshita apartment. I wouldn't be surprised with gold plated faucets or toilet paper embroidered with "Y".
Enough of that though, as she probably would rather not have these unnecessary luxuries given her strained relationship with the family.
Reaching the kitchen, I pulled a glass out of the cabinet and filled it with water. I took a few sips, before downing the rest of the glass and putting it back in the sink. Right when I was about to head back to the living room, I felt my phone start vibrating.
Crap, what does she want? At this point the only person that would contact me would be the elder Yukinoshita sister. Perhaps Shiromeguri-senpai, but I had told her not to contact me unless it was a complete emergency, and at this time the meeting for the cultural festival probably didn't reach a tipping point, especially if my assumptions were correct.
Putting the phone to my ear, I responded. "Yo, what do you want?"
"Heyy, it's still rude to address your nee-san like that, but I guess you'll have time to improve that later." As she giggled, I aggressively sighed.
"Okay, okay, here's the thing. I've heard that a certain Sensei of yours wants to talk with my little sister, and I'd highly encourage you to view this interaction. It seems like more people are becoming involved in our little experiment than I originally expected, but this case may be a beneficial addition."
"Like hell it is," I scoffed.
"Anyway, there is a tablet that will connect to the camera in her apartment, so you can stay nice and cozy."
"Alright, where is it?" I asked, thinking it would probably be stowed somewhere in a study room. More giggles.
"I think I may have accidentally left it in her room." This woman.
"What if I just not go and watch whatever Yukinoshita's doing, that sounds like a good plan to me." I stated, turning to head back to the living room. "You can relay me the details later, I'm going back to reading."
"Hikigaya-kun-wait-" I heard from the other line, stopping me in my tracks. For the longest time, I could tell her inflections of tone as a sign of her teasing or scheming. This time, I heard a voice that contained neither sarcasm nor wily intent. It sounded...sincere: as if something like that could ever come out of her mouth. Even though I couldn't see her physically, it wasn't like the other times where her true feelings were almost perfectly concealed from the outside. Her voice this time, on the other hand, was enough to break that shell.
A moment of silence passed as I waited for her response, surprisingly without a pessimistic thought in mind. "I have a feeling you should watch it yourself…" With one more sigh, I turned around and faced Yukinoshita's door. It's always these embarrassing situations I end up in.
Opening the door, I steeled my mind and entered her room. It was a standard bedroom: a bed, a desk with a nightstand, some shelves with books, dressers. Nothing brought to my attention seemed out-of-ordinary for a typical individual's bedroom; it reflected her studious nature, a sense of modesty, and her obsession of Pan-san. Of course Pan-sans populated the room, as it was her favorite character. For a typical teenager, this many Pan-san images would warrant a counselor and a serious explanation. Yukinoshita fully acknowledged this strong interest in Pan-san, so I see no problem being slightly amused whenever the panda appears and her reaction afterward.
After this initial scan of the room, I felt a tinge of heat appearing on my face; it was a girl's room anyway, specifically Yukinoshita's room. "Okay, do you remember where you put the tablet?"
"Hmm...I think I remember the dresser near the closet, but not which drawer." I guess I'll have to check the drawers, quickly resolving to find this device as soon as possible and get over with this. Without giving much further thought, my hand reached for the wooden handle of the top drawer, my other hand still holding my phone up.
"Hold on, the top drawers-"
"Huh, what about the top drawer?" I had already opened the drawer, and instinctively I looked down at its contents.
After accidentally seeing Kawasaki's… black lace, and Miura's…. pink, I should have expected the rom-com gods to throw me under the bus yet again. I could only muster one word in my mind at the moment.
White.
"Hikigaya-kun?"
"..."
"Hikigaya-kun?"
"...Did you set me up?"
I could hear her sincerely laugh. "No, I was trying to tell you not to open the top drawer! Oh well, it happened. I'm pretty sure it's in the third drawer." As I slowly recovered enough to close the top drawer, I went down to open the third drawer. As she said, the tablet was tucked to the side.
She told me the directions to get to the videocam, so a few minutes later the live feed popped up on the screen, currently showing the meeting at Kaihin Sougou High. I closed the drawer and left the room how it was before; closing the door, I internally told myself that this event never happened. Not at all, I only retrieved a tablet and nothing else. Nothing at all. Walking back to the living room, I cleared my mind. I sat back down, stealing a glance from the window. A waning afternoon, white clouds carried by the wind across the air.
White clouds.
White.
Crap. Why do I even bother?
To avoid that topic once more, I focused on the stream of the graduation festival meeting, which summed up to the usual roundabout nonsense, only in a more rushed manner. They were all nervous, yet no one was able to voice that concern; luckily one voice will be raised shortly. Not any of their voices though.
Eventually, the meeting reached a "conclusion," as I checked my phone. Shiromeguri-senpai arrived at the building, her text bursting with enthusiasm.
Yukinoshita had left the room, and through the audio I could discern a muffled whimper. She was trying not the cry. I bet at this point she was trying to comfort herself with those half-hearted statements motivational speakers spit out. Like "sometimes you fail", and it's "not the end of the world". She really wants to blame herself for the incoming failure, but she's telling herself that it's not her fault, nor anyone else's.
She knew it wasn't going to help the situation, but nothing short of a miracle would suffice at this moment.
Cue Shiromeguri-senpai, entering stage left.
"Yukinoshita-san?"
"Shiromeguri-senpai? Why are you here?"
To save your asses, that's what. Of course, Shiromeguri-senpai wouldn't say such vulgar terms to most individuals; I like to say that my loner abilities can invoke amusing reactions from even the sweetest people, go figure.
The next few minutes went by with Shiromeguri-senpai introducing herself to the meeting and showing what true leadership looked and felt like. There was a moment where I held my breath after Yukinoshita asked who told her.
"Hi-hi-" Shiromeguri-senpai sto- "Hiratsuka-sensei."
Nice save.
Speaking of Sensei, she appeared as well, which immediately was followed by a notification from my phone.
Haruno Yukinoshita: The main attraction's here~!
Looks like she was watching as well. The two of them made their way to Sobu High, to the Office of Student Records. More like the office of tree-killing mounds of student assignments that most of us don't care about except for the numbers and grades given to them.
When Sensei started making Yukinoshita organize the cabinets, I finally had video evidence that the teachers literally use child labor for their work. I mean, I suppose it's already a given.
She started talking about assignments and stuff when she pulled out Yukinoshita's file, particularly one writing assignment that was missing. It had a reference with my name on it, of all people. A creative writing assignment from first year; the only one that stuck out of my memory was the trip to summer camp where I-wait.
That was the summer camp trip I found a girl lost in the forest. A girl with raven-black hair and icy blue eyes. Yukino Yukinoshita herself.
My memory of that trip had faded somewhat after starting high school, but that one interaction in the forest probably stuck out the most. Being the loner self I was, I didn't care about where my group went as I took a path down, flashlight in hand and a map in the other. The sun had already set...oh whatever let me go into flashback mode already.
Begin Flashback
The sun had already set; finally most of the groups were heading back to the camp, giving me the freedom to roam the paths unobstructed. My group could care less if I had disappeared from their sight forever, and likewise. I was transferring to a different school than the one all of them were going to, so why not ditch them now? With a newfound freedom, I clicked my flashlight on and headed down a path we traveled before. Obviously, I wasn't paying attention when part of the group, and it was unbearably humid. Now, the path was much more interesting and less humid; a win-win in my mind.
I travelled further in, noting the animals that darted across, casting shadows across the plane of view. Mostly small creatures one would normally find in a forest.
Except for that cat over on the side. I stopped for a moment, watching it lick its paw and yawn. Minding its own business, the cat didn't give a damn about the world; sucks to be a human being at times, I must say.
A faint noise in the distance brought me from my original trance, causing me to direct the flashlight forwards. It was a faint crying; someone was crying just further down the path.
My first step forward raised no concerns, but two seconds in I stopped, considering I head back to the camp. First, this is basically how every horror starts with the unsuspecting kid does something illogically stupid, like following a girl's cry into a forest at night, then being kidnapped or killed. Yes, I hate my life, but not that much.
Second, going with the more realistic route, it would be better if someone like a teacher or a chaperone comes to find her, not some random middle school student wandering the paths by himself. It gave me the easy way out; it's not my responsibility, more like society's fault for not finding her sooner.
I started to turn, but again my eyes fell on the cat...or two of them. No wait, three of them. The cat I first saw was now accompanied by a similar-sized cat, along with a small kitten. It looked like a family from here, although cats aren't known to form social relationships like humans do. Even as solitary creatures, the cats here seemed to have formed something not commonly seen but still existent. Us humans have a stronger connection with "family" I would assume.
Focusing back on the crying, I would assume the girl in question had a family. The consequence of her not being found would hurt both her and them. I'd know I would be upset if Komachi ever was lost, as her caring older brother.
Ah, to hell with my laziness.
I headed in that direction, eventually stumbling upon a girl sitting on the rocks, curled into a ball. Her hair was quite long and silky-black, though it was also disheveled a bit.
"Oi, you lost?" You idiot, Hachiman! Of course she's lost. What kind of question was that?
Mentally flaming myself, I watched her look up in my direction, eyes red and puffy, cheeks wet. She stared for some time, before grabbing her belongings and getting herself of the rocks, as if she had been planning this or something. It was awkward having some random stranger ask if you're lost I suppose.
"Um...yeah."
"Alright then...let's head back," I replied, point the flashlight in the direction I originally came from. The cats disappeared into the woods as we passed by the previous spot. I noticed she was following me, keeping a few feet of distance between us. Ugh, for the last time the Hikigerms aren't contagious. A few moments later I heard her shriek, causing me to stop and turn around. She looked scared once again, her legs shaking somewhat. Once she realized I was still there, she eventually calmed down and walked closer.
We started again, but this time she held onto the edge of my sleeve. Straight out of a rom-com light novel. Hachiman, are you a riajuu or something? There was a limited conversation between us on the way back. She was indeed from a different middle school, and she didn't have that many interests. I noticed a panda keychain attached to her purse, which she seemed a bit more excited to explain the concept of Pan-san. She asked why I was all alone as well, and to that I laughed and told her I ditched the group.
Before long we had made it back to the camp. Finally, I can go and sleep for the night. Right as I was about to leave, she asked for my name. I froze, thinking of what brought her to say this. We were complete strangers from different middle schools, probably leading to different high schools, so my name was an irrelevant piece of information.
"It's okay, you don't have to say your full name if you don't want to," she said. "How about initials?"
Again, I paused for a moment to think, crossing my arms. I suppose initials are fair-
"H," I blurted, instantly questioning why I acted so quickly. But I had done it; a small but certain victory for the loner Hikigaya. A small smile crept onto my lips, which unfortunately probably looked creepy from someone else's perspective. To my surprise, she also smiled, her face now illuminated by the moonlight. Feeling a wave of heat brush my face, I automatically searched for a moment to make my leave. As she looked up at the night sky, I silently turned and walked back to where the rest of my classmates were.
I reflected on what happened, mostly on how I had helped her out. She didn't know who I was, and neither did I. Maybe it was for the best that my efforts went anonymous.
This was embarrassing as hell, I have to admit. But I'll remember it.
End Flashback
I had realized partway through the year that the girl I had met before was the ice-queen herself, and added an end-note to an already late assignment due to my injury that year. Yukinoshita held the paper with both her hands, apparently reading what I had written almost two years ago, yet instead of focusing on the words, I noticed how her hands were quivering.
I didn't expect her to recognize me at all after the trip, only leaving her with an initial….looking back, it sounded like I was clinging on to the slight badass "chuuni" attitude that was left before completely flaming that identity from existence.
I could tell she stopped near the ends, and through the camera I could see the words by her fingers.
"I probably did save her."
The trip to Destinyland popped into my mind, right at the top of the water ride. We had made it outside, just moments from rushing down the slide, and Yukinoshita tugged on the edge of my sleeve. Turning to her, I witnessed one of the few moments where the ice queen's usually stoic expression melted away; she had a smile on her face that wasn't out of courtesy or obligation. Her lips moved, the sound of her voice reaching my ears before the wind could cut her off.
"Please, save me someday."
At the time, I was focused more on her expression than the actual words she said, but my brain still remembered the phrase. It was just that she, in that moment of time, created a picture perfect scene, stirring something I had not felt before. She was…
Beautiful.
Snapping back to reality, I first came to the realization my entire face had heated up, assumably a shade of red I'd rather not see. Looking down at the floor, I tried clearing my mind yet again. Were these feelings….genui-
"Yukino-chan!"
The screen showed a familiar figure standing in the courtyard of the school, next to a familiar limousine and driver. From the moment I spaced out, Yukinoshita must have left the office quite quickly, judging by how out of breath she was.
Haruno Yukinoshita, the elder sister and mastermind of this entire "experiment", finally meets her target subject while wearing that sickening mask of hers. Unfortunately, that meant that I would eventually have to take my leave from this place; as much as I felt embarrassed over the events that transpired here, it would sure beat standing outside in the cold, which is exactly what I have to do according to today's agenda.
A few minutes later, the trigger phrase was said - "or is there someone else on your mind?" This meant they were almost at the apartment, in which I turned off the device, stowed it back in Yukinoshita's drawer, and left the apartment. Once outside, I turned left, walking about half a block before making another left onto a side street. Moments later, the limousine pulled up to the front of the building, dropping off both sisters. Once the two of them entered the building, the car pulled closer, making the same right and stopping where I was. I entered the car, sitting down, and waited further instructions.
Oh, this was only the beginning of the phase. If it were just this short, I wouldn't have minded walking this far to only sit in a limo for the rest of the night. No, that demon Yukinoshita had something else in mind, yet she decided to keep it a secret from me until afterwards. All she said was to wait for her to leave the building, then I would come out and stand on the sidewalk opposite the apartment complex. She also said to not watch their conversation, so for the entire time I would idly sit in the car, waiting for whatever she would tell her sister to be over.
I was reading a light novel, of course, so I wouldn't be completely bored. What a night.
I had finished a few chapters before I saw the doors open to the building. There she was, looking like she just took a stroll through the park. She made her way to the car, entered, and took a sigh of relief.
"That was fun!" she stated playfully, adjusting her seat. "Alright, Hikigaya-kun, you know what to do."
I let a small grunt out as my response, followed by a quick opening of the car door. I shivered a bit at first contact with the cold air, pulling my jacket a bit tighter as I exited the limousine. At least I would get some more alone time….for how long though I was unsure of.
This entire time, I followed what she told me to do, always "awaiting further instructions." I exhaled, letting the white puff of breath expand into the night. It was still getting colder, great.
I leaned against the light pole directly across from the apartment, watching the white puffs of smoke exit my mouth once again. White.
Moving on.
I couldn't even pass the time by reading something on my phone because once I remove my hands from their pockets they'll only feel the bitter cold and potential frostbite. Not worth it.
I had no idea what I was waiting for, nor how long I was supposed to stand here. All I had was the my surroundings to aimlessly stare at. There was a park that extended pretty far in. However, there were no lights on there so there wasn't much to look at. The street itself was pretty empty, the only car in sight being the limo tucked away in the side street. There were two figures in the far distance, walking towards the apartment. They were on the opposite side of the street, so from this length I couldn't make them out clearly.
Right as I started looking at them, my phone started vibrating. I took my hand out and grabbed my phone, revealing a text from Haruno.
Time to come back.
I let out one more breath, putting my phone away, and started heading in the direction of the car. It was quite a coincidence that right when I started moving the snow started to fall from the sky. It wasn't the light fluff but a heavy wet snow that will eventually soak through clothing; again, it was pretty fortunate of me to be leaving at this time then. The two individuals on the other side of the street were now much closer, to the point where I could start discerning some of their features. Both were teenagers, undoubtedly high school students then. Both had shorter hairstyles, one of them having a bun on one side. The colors were still hard to figure out, but eventually the distance between us shortened. One had a tan-blonde color to her hair, and the other with the bun had….
-Coral pink-
Yuigahama and Isshiki.
Suppressing a moment of panic, I kept walking forward. What was Yuigahama and Isshiki doing walking around here at night? Were they going to confront Yukinoshita? From the past few weeks, it seems as though Yuigahama was concerned for Yukinoshita, so that wouldn't be entirely out of the question. Perhaps it was more of a comforting mission between close friends….plus Isshiki. Hm, I suppose Isshiki is close enough to be a part of this too.
But that wasn't the main issue. The issue was that both of them might as well recognize me as quickly as I recognized them. I noticed that both of them were looking in my general direction, probably thinking I was some wandering drunk or something. I was wearing a hood that covered my hair and the sides of my face, so it might not be so obvious. They stopped walking, just looking in my direction now.
If Yuigahama noticed me, that would ultimately be the end of this game. She can't hold a secret even if she tried, and with everything that happened, I would expect her to run over here and tackle me while sobbing, making sure I didn't escape.
If Isshiki noticed me, there was a good chance she would tell Yuigahama, but also there was a probability she would keep quiet about it. Being the sly foxy kouhai she is, this piece of information was again a chess piece she now had control over; this makes the practice-date blackmail seem novice at best.
The moment of truth was fastly approaching, so I stole another glance at the both of them. Yuigahama's expression only showed confusion and a slight hint of concern, which I can attribute to my overall impression of a creep potentially preying on high school girls at this time of night. Which means she didn't recognize me.
Isshiki's eyes were wide open, expressing disbelief.
Shit. She knew. It could've been over right then and there. Haruno would have been exposed, I could return to Sobu, albeit with a lot of explaining to do, and eventually things can start to calm down. But some part of my mind was asking to keep this up for a little longer. I had no clue whether I had been brainwashed by the poisoned MAX coffee at the start, but Haruno had a purpose, and a conclusion, even if it tore our reality apart, was in order.
I was finally directly across from them, only the street separating us. They were still looking this way, and with the assumption that only Isshiki realized, I gave one more request.
Turning my head slight, I locked eyes with Isshiki, still in a phase of shock. I brought my hand out and pressed my index finger against my lips.
Please Isshiki, don't tell a soul of what happened right now.
In that moment, she unfroze, still wide-eyed and quivering slightly. But, I could see her head move up and down. I looked back forward, quickening my pace a bit to reach the side street, crossing the road, and finally reaching the car door and entering.
Before I entered the car, I heard Yuigahama's voice: "Iroha-chan? You okay?"
"Heh….yeah. I'm fine."
I inhaled and took a sigh of relief-but as I exhaled the apartment doors flung open. With how the road slightly curved, I could see both the pair of girls and the apartment building further down. Haruno was also holding a tablet with the videocam, but I felt we were both watching through the windows. Both windows were opened, as requested by her.
As the cloud of vapors cleared up, Yukinoshita appeared, looking forward at the lamppost, where I was originally standing. Even from a distance, I could see her face almost clearly….it was the first time I saw her in person for many weeks now. Her eyes were puffy, cheeks wet, hair disheveled. Resembling the lost girl I stumbled upon almost two years ago. As dread clenched my stomach, I only could watch as she started yelling out into the air.
"Stupid! Dimwit! Hachiman-"
She fell to her knees with a soft thud. The snow had started picking up, so her hair and clothes became wet. Sobs rolled down her pink cheeks dripping to the sidewalk below. She was mouthing something I first couldn't pick up, but as her voice got louder, I realized she was saying my name.
"Hikigaya-kun….I'm sorry…."
Confusion filled my mind, unable to compute the meaning behind her words. It wasn't her fault all this happened, it was her sister's doing! Looking back now, I wouldn't have left at all if it were my own decision….that first night, hypothetically assuming that many of my relationships were surface-level and could be easily faded….it wasn't true. Each time, every person showed that they cared or showed interest in my situation. In all honesty, I had taken their care for granted. Especially Yukinoshita's.
I cared. I care for them….I care for her….I-
"I...I'm sorry I'm in love with you...Hikigaya-kun!"
I….I….what?
Yukinoshita…
"Hikigaya-kun…"
She must have been driven to this point by everything. She wasn't thinking clearly, that must be it.
There's no way she could….of all seven billion people….have those feelings.
Both Isshiki and Yuigahama held onto each other, sobbing as well. I kept staring at Yukinoshita for who knows how long, as I felt time pretty much stall around us all. A torrent of emotions I kept away from my existence cracked through the monster of logic. I wouldn't let it show physically, but the battlezone currently fought on between reason and emotion left me incapacitated.
I hated this moment, this entire situation; I couldn't do anything at all. I mean I could, but at the same time I….couldn't.
It was an impasse I didn't have the strength nor courage to overcome now. Frustrating only brushed the surface of what I felt.
I'm in love with you...Hikigaya-kun…
My cheeks warmed, only to be met with a shocking cold feeling that ran down one side. A bit of physical reaction slipped through in the form of a single tear searing along the middle of my cheek down to the chin. The reason behind this was something I had yet to understand. What I felt….
...about Yukinoshita.
Was this….genuine?
...
Yukinoshita's image eventually faded away as the limousine departed the scene.
"I didn't expect those two to be there, though it didn't matter in the end," I heard in the distance, as if speaking from a different room. "This isn't over yet, you know. If that brain of yours is still functioning, just say anything so I know." Haruno's voice was cold, amused, satisfied. I clenched my teeth, controlling my urge to lash out at her. She had hurt Yukinoshita more than I had imagined, and I was silently her accomplice in crime. I despised it.
It took a couple moments to bring back the monster of logic, and with an equally cold voice I responded.
"Are you satisfied yet?"
She smiled, turning back forward. I almost lost it again with that sickly smirk of hers, but I stopped. Through the side mirror, I looked at her expression. Her smile didn't match her eyes, which were a bit wider and...glistening. Her eyelashes, once perfectly prepared with makeup, were becoming blurry and moist.
Haruno Yukinoshita, older sister and mastermind of my disappearance, was on the verge of tears.
[1] Aneko Yusagi's light novel series "The Rising of the Shield Hero"
A/N: Signing back on, what's up everyone. I apologize again for the long delay for this chapter. We are reaching the anticipated climax NEXT CHAPTER (I know not this chapter SORRY). In other news, Season 3 of Oregairu has been announced (YESSS) and the hype is back for our favorite loner to reach a genuine conclusion! Now back to this story: Chapter 12 reveals more into what went behind the scenes throughout the timeline between chapters 7-9. This is also why I wanted 8man's version of Chapter 10 to be its own chapter, and I will assure you it won't disappoint. That's all I can say, so I appreciate everyone who is supporting my writing and I hope to continue this up with this fic (and beyond!) See you all in the next chapter.