"Yukino, don't let Kotoko's provocations get to you. Remember what I told you this morning." — Hoshimi
"Kotoko, stop stirring things up! Be good, and I'll take you wherever you want to go this weekend." — Hoshimi
"Tsk~" After reading the message, Kotoko clicked her tongue, leaned back on the sofa, and gave up on trying to provoke Yukinoshita further.
"..." On the other side, Yukino gradually calmed down as well. She put away her phone, picked up her book, and continued reading, ignoring Kotoko.
The sound of pages turning echoed in the Service Club room.
The delayed breeze finally entered, dissipating the lingering tension, but the oppressive atmosphere remained stubbornly in place...
...
In the rooftop hallway, Hoshimi stood by the window, massaging his temples, feeling mentally drained.
He could easily predict that once he left, Kotoko and Yukino would clash. So, before tackling the real issues, he had to send a message to pacify the two of them, hoping to prevent an immediate argument.
"Just two people are this challenging. What if there were more?" he thought as he gazed at the gloomy sky in the distance, his expression deepening.
At that moment, he realized something: all the girls he subconsciously chose were far from simple.
Yukino might have some personality flaws, but she was still undeniably a well-bred lady.
Kotoko, similar to Yukino, also carried an aura of mystery, making her even more extraordinary.
Kasumigaoka's family background might not be as affluent as the other two, but she was still well-off and wouldn't be troubled by material concerns. Additionally, she was a brilliant writer who could earn a lot from her literary talent alone, destined to be a future "rich woman."
Others, like Eriri and Karura, also came from notable families.
Even that white-haired detective wasn't an ordinary person.
It seemed that his subconscious mind was rather "materialistic," choosing "little rich girls" who would spare him from financial struggles.
"Sigh~" Hoshimi shook his head, dismissing the irrelevant thoughts and focusing on the matter at hand.
He picked up his phone, found Yuigahama's contact, and sent her a message.
"Are you there?"
After waiting for a while without a response, Hoshimi guessed that Yuigahama must have seen the message but didn't know how to reply back to him.
He thought for a moment and sent another message.
"How pitiful! Yukino just made a friend and is already being ignored. Silent treatment is so terrible~~"
...
"Ugh~"
Meanwhile, in a KTV room near Sobu High, Yuigahama looked at the message, feeling as if she'd been stabbed in the heart.
Just as Hoshimi suspected, she'd seen his message earlier but didn't know how to respond.
Now, feeling a little frustrated, she couldn't help but reply.
"Hoshimi-kun!! I'm not giving Yukinon the silent treatment!"
Yes, she wasn't giving Yukinon the silent treatment. She just...forgot to tell Yukinon where she was going...
Beep—Beep—!
When her phone chimed again, Yuigahama, who was feeling a bit down, instinctively looked at the screen.
"Oh? Is that so? So it's not silent treatment? Then why didn't you notify her? You should inform the club if you won't attend activities; even Hikigaya understands that. Surely the 'amiable' Yuigahama knows it too, right?"
"..." Yuigahama bit her lip and tapped her phone screen furiously.
"I know I should notify people... I just forgot to text Yukinon."
"Yuigahama-san, can you conscientiously say you just forgot?"
Hoshimi's relentless questioning left Yuigahama flustered, clutching her phone, unsure how to respond.
Beep—Beep—!
Before she could think of a reply, Hoshimi sent another message.
"Oops, I forgot; Yuigahama-san can't exactly feel her conscience, hehe~"
"Huh??"
At first, Yuigahama didn't understand what Hoshimi meant.
Then, noticing her well-endowed chest, she grasped the implication behind his words.
"Ugh~" She pouted, ready to "scold" Hoshimi for his suggestive joke.
"Hoshimi-kun, you're too much! You're Yukino's boyfriend; how could you..."
Beep—Beep—!
Before she could finish typing, Hoshimi's message arrived first.
"Just a joke to lighten the mood. Let's set aside today's incident and talk about your conflict with Hikigaya. I'm curious to know how the 'amiable Yuigahama' and the 'invisible nice guy' Hikigaya could be at odds."
Reading his message, Yuigahama mumbled under her breath, "Hoshimi-kun...so sneaky..."
She erased her unfinished reply, typing something else instead.
"Hoshimi-kun, why bring that up all of a sudden? Besides, there's no conflict between Hikigaya-san and me."
"Heh~ You're calling him 'Hikigaya-san' now? And you say there's no conflict?"
Yuigahama felt a hint of irritation.
"Hoshimi-kun! Can you stop nitpicking my words? It's more polite to use formal titles in writing! Also, answer my question, please!"
"Sure, I can answer. Just don't emphasize things with exclamation points; that doesn't work on me. Let's just have an open, heart-to-heart conversation."
"Ugh~~" Yuigahama sighed in frustration.
She'd intended to act annoyed, but Hoshimi saw right through her act.
How annoying—this guy is just too annoying.
"Alright, answer my question then. First, what was the reason for your conflict with Hikigaya?"
"..." Holding her phone, Yuigahama didn't know where to begin.
The source of their issue went way back and couldn't be summed up in a few words.
She pondered over how to summarize the situation as concisely as possible.
"Yui, what are you doing?"
Just then, Miura Yumiko, holding a microphone, approached Yuigahama.
Before Yuigahama could react, Miura snatched the phone from her hand.
"Huh?"
Realizing her phone was gone, Yuigahama snapped out of her thoughts, standing up instinctively to grab it back.
Quickly, she looked at Miura, who wore a disapproving expression and hurriedly clasped her hands together, bowing apologetically.
"Yumiko, I'm sorry, it's my fault, I shouldn't have..."
"It's fine. Don't worry about it." Yumiko waved her hand, stopping the panicked Yuigahama.
"..." Yuigahama clasped her hands over her chest, glancing nervously at Yumiko.
"Yumiko, I…" She seemed like she wanted to explain further.
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