Chapter 477: The Unreliable Tobe
"I hope you can help me reject Tobe's confession."
"Huh?"
Yui was surprised to hear her best friend say such a thing.
However, at this moment, Yukino spoke up, "If it's just about rejecting Tobe, you can do that yourself, can't you? Why are you asking us to do it?"
Hearing this, Ebina gave a slightly helpless smile.
"Although I can reject him myself, doing so would make things awkward between us whenever we see each other. It would also affect the group's dynamics."
"So, I think it's best if we just maintain our current relationship."
Hachiman understood her point. "I get it. You want us to help dissuade Tobe from confessing, right?"
"That way, we can avoid any awkward situations."
"Exactly, Hachiman. You're quick on the uptake." Ebina smiled. With her current relationship with Hachiman, she didn't have to be cryptic like in the original story. She could just state things plainly.
"But... but..." Yui seemed uncomfortable, stammering a bit.
Seeing Yui's reaction, Ebina looked puzzled. "Yui, what's wrong?"
Hachiman answered for her. "Actually, before you came, Tobe was here."
"Really? He was here too?" Ebina was surprised. "Could it be..."
"Just as you thought, Tobe asked us for help in preparing his confession to you," Yukino explained.
"That's impossible. He's a good person, but no," Ebina immediately rejected the idea.
"You answered that quickly," Yui said, surprised by her friend's decisiveness.
Still, Yui wasn't ready to give up. She cautiously suggested, "Hina, how about using the upcoming school trip as a chance to get to know Tobe better?"
"It's pointless. Good feelings don't develop in just a few days of interaction. Besides, Yui, don't you think I've spent enough time around Tobe already? I know what kind of person he is."
Ebina shook her head, her expression showing a bit of disdain. It was clear she really didn't have any feelings for Tobe.
"Given my stance, I hope you can help dissuade Tobe from confessing. Please."
With that, she stood up, gave a slight bow to Hachiman, Yui, and Yukino, and prepared to leave.
Before she left, Ebina glanced briefly at Hachiman, then walked out of the Service Club room without looking back.
After Ebina left, the remaining three felt a sense of helplessness.
"Tobe is so pitiful, his confession ended before it even began," Yui, with her kind heart, couldn't help but feel a bit of sympathy for Tobe and sighed.
"But what about our request? Doesn't this mean it failed?"
However, Hachiman remained calm, took a sip of his tea, and shrugged slightly. "Not really. Where did we fail?"
"We only agreed to provide Tobe with advice and help for his confession, not guarantee his success."
"After all, romance is a matter of mutual feelings. Since Ebina isn't interested, what else can we do?"
"But judging from Tobe's demeanor, he doesn't seem like someone who will easily give up," Yukino noted.
"If he still goes ahead with the confession, it might lead to the situation Ebina wants to avoid."
"Eh~~ What should we do then?" Yui looked worried. She didn't want to see her group of friends fall apart.
Hachiman thought for a moment and said, "How about this, we'll superficially help Tobe with some advice. As long as Ebina's attitude remains cold, even the densest person should get the hint and back off."
He then turned to Yui and added, "Yui, I have a task for you. Keep in touch with Ebina and make sure of her feelings. If she truly has no interest in Tobe, help her stay firm in her decision."
"Got it," Yui nodded.
Yukino sighed, "I suppose that's all we can do for now."
Hachiman smiled and took another sip of his tea, but behind the cover of his cup, his eyes glinted thoughtfully.
...
In the following days, Tobe frequently visited the Service Club to ask Hachiman and the others for good confession ideas. Hachiman provided him with some simple suggestions.
For example go to a matchmaking shrine together, or perhaps confess in a romantic setting.
Every time Hachiman gave his suggestions, Tobe would get so excited that he could barely wait to try them out. However, as soon as the club called, he would immediately disappear.
Seeing Tobe act like this, even Yukino couldn't help but complain, 'What an unreliable guy.'
Despite Hachiman and the others offering numerous suggestions, having Yui as an insider meant that Ebina would get wind of some of their plans.
And so, with both sides having their own agendas, the school trip began.
...
At the station, all the second-year students of Sobu High School had gathered. The trip was planned for four days and three nights. The first day was for class activities, the second day was split into groups of four, the third day was for free activities, and the fourth day was for preparing to return home.
Since they ostensibly had to help Tobe with his confession, there were some adjustments to the groupings.
The boys' group consisted of Hachiman, Saika, Hayama, and Tobe. The girls' group included Yumiko, Yui, Ebina, and Saki.
Initially, Saki didn't want to be in a group with Yumiko, but Ebina insisted and pulled her in.
After Hachiman and the others helped the girls load their luggage onto the train, the first issue arose: the seating arrangement.
The train seats were arranged in rows of three, with two rows facing each other, accommodating six people per section. However, there were eight people in their group.
Yumiko, unconcerned, claimed, 'I want a window seat,' and took one.
On the other side, Saika shyly requested, 'Can I have a window seat too? I get a bit carsick.'
Everyone agreed without hesitation. Saika was well-liked in the class, and no one would refuse such a simple request.
With both window seats taken, only four seats remained. Or rather, three...
As soon as Saika sat down, he quickly called out to Hachiman, 'Hachiman, sit next to me.'
Hachiman, without any reservations, sat down beside him.
Now, only three seats were left.
Among the group, Yui was still hopeful about the situation and wanted to help Tobe. But just as she was about to speak, Ebina gave her a push from behind.
"Alright, alright, the train's about to leave. Yui, you sit next to Yumiko, and I'll sit beside you."
Now, five seats were taken, leaving just one open spot. This made Tobe a bit anxious, and he quickly tried to speak up to claim the last seat.
But Ebina knew exactly what he was thinking. She grabbed Saki Kawasaki's arm and said, "Saki, why don't you sit across from me?"
"Huh? But I wanted to find another place..." Saki started to protest, not wanting to sit next to Yumiko. However, before she could finish her sentence, Ebina firmly seated her.
With that, all six seats were filled.
Seeing this, Tobe looked a bit disappointed. He glanced at Hachiman with a hint of sorrow before taking a seat with Hayama in another section.
Soon, the train started moving, and they officially began their school trip to Kyoto.
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