5th of August,
The school festival was in full swing. The sun was beginning to set, casting a golden glow over the bustling school grounds. I was running errands for our class booth when I bumped into a familiar figure with long black hair.
"Kurohime-senpai?" I blurted out in surprise.
She turned to face me, her eyes narrowing. "Yukito, we need to talk," she said, her voice calm but commanding.
Behind me, I sensed Hinata in her maid costume, her eyes flashing with suspicion. "What do you want, Senpai?" she demanded.
"I'm here for a battle," Kurohime-senpai replied, her gaze never leaving mine.
"A battle?" I echoed, completely bewildered.
"Yes, a battle for Yukito," she clarified, stepping closer to me. "Let's go."
She grabbed my hand and started to pull me away. I glanced back at Hinata, who looked both irritated and worried.
"You forgot to change. Someone needs to work," she said, her voice tinged with irritation.
"Right, go on, Yukito. Get changed and we'll go on our date," Kurohime-senpai said, finally releasing her grip on my hand.
I walked toward Hinata and whispered, "Are you sure about this?"
She looked at me with an expression that I thought was a smile and said, "Yeah, go on. I'm cheering for you."
Feeling a bit confused, I muttered, "Alright then…" and headed to the changing room to put on my high school jersey.
When I returned, Hinata was nowhere to be found. "Senpai, where is Hinata?" I asked Kurohime-senpai, who was waiting outside.
"Oh, Kouhai-chan? She's busy with her job now."
I looked back into the classroom, but she wasn't there either. "Let's go, Yukito-kun," Senpai said, extending her hand.
I hesitated but slowly took her hand, and together we walked away on our so-called 'date.' This felt somewhat normal, at least for me. Kurohime-senpai was humming a tune as we walked down the school hallway.
"You look happy, Senpai. What happened?" I asked.
She turned to me and said, "I'm on a date with my kouhai. Of course I would be happy."
We ended up in the school's garden, where the sounds of the festival were distant but still present. Kurohime-senpai stopped by a bench and gestured for me to sit down. "Yukito, do you know why I wanted this 'battle'?" she asked, her tone more serious now.
I shook my head, genuinely clueless. "No, why?"
"Because I see potential in you," she said, her eyes boring into mine. "You're not just any kouhai. You have something special, and I wanted to see it for myself."
I blinked, taken aback by her words. "Special? What do you mean?"
She sighed, looking thoughtful. "You have a way of bringing people together, Yukito. You have this charm that makes people want to be around you. That's why I challenged Kouhai-chan for you."
I felt my cheeks heat up, not knowing how to respond. "I... I never thought of it that way."
Kurohime-senpai smiled softly. "Well, now you know. And I hope you keep using that charm to make this school a better place."
We went into a bunch of class's stands and we're actually having fun in this so called 'date'. Until,
"Yukito-kun, what did you think of this school festival?"
"It's fun… I'm actually having fun…"
"You're having fun with who? Me or Kouhai-chan?"
"That's…"
Before I could respond, a familiar voice called out, "Yukito-kun!"
I turned to see Hinata running towards us. "Hinata?" I stood up, confused.
"Sorry, Senpai, but I'm taking Yukito back," she said firmly, grabbing my arm.
Kurohime-senpai chuckled. "Looks like our date is over, Yukito-kun. Go on, your 'girlfriend' needs you."
Hinata blushed furiously but didn't let go of my arm. "Let's go, Yukito-kun. We have work to do."
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*HINATA POV*
After Yukito and Kurohime-senpai is gone, I went back to the class and changed my outfit into our school uniform.
The school festival was in full swing, the lively atmosphere filling the air with excitement. I was busy managing our class's tea house when I spotted Yukito and Kurohime-senpai talking in the garden. A pang of jealousy surged through me, but I had to focus on my work. I needed to talk to someone, and Kamihate-kun was the perfect person.
"Kamihate-kun, can we talk?" I asked, pulling him aside during a quiet moment.
"Sure, Futaba-san. What's up?" Kamihate replied, his usual easy going demeanour present.
I took a deep breath, gathering my thoughts. "It's about Yukito."
Kamihate raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "What about him?"
"I... I don't know what to do. Seeing him with Kurohime-senpai is driving me crazy," I confessed, my voice trembling slightly.
Kamihate looked thoughtful for a moment before responding. "You know, Futaba-san, you never really explained why you disliked Yukito so much in the first place."
I bit my lip, the memory of our first year flooding back. "It's because he rejected me."
Kamihate's eyes widened in surprise. "Rejected you? I had no idea."
I nodded, feeling a lump in my throat. "Yeah, it was during our first year. I gathered all my courage and confessed to him, but he turned me down. I was so hurt and embarrassed that I ended up hating him for it."
"That makes sense," Kamihate said gently. "But have you ever thought about why he rejected you?"
I shook my head. "No, I was too angry to think about it."
"Yukito's a guy who thinks of others first, Futaba-san," Kamihate explained. "He prioritizes his family and those close to him. If he rejected you, there must have been a reason beyond just not liking you."
I frowned, trying to understand. "What do you mean?"
Shuuta sighed, "Yukito's been through a lot. He has responsibilities at home that most of us can't even imagine. He's always putting his family first, even if it means sacrificing his own happiness. Maybe he felt he couldn't give you the attention you deserved back then."
I felt a pang of guilt. I had never considered what Yukito might be going through. "I... I didn't know."
"That's why you should talk to him," Kamihate suggested. "Clear the air. It might help you understand things better."
I considered his words, realizing he was right. I needed to confront my feelings and understand Yukito's perspective. Just as I was about to thank Kamihate, I noticed Yukito and Kurohime-senpai again, this time sitting on a bench, deep in conversation.
Determined, I decided to take action. "Thanks, Kamihate-kun. I need to go."
Without waiting for his response, I rushed towards Yukito and Kurohime-senpai. My heart pounded in my chest as I approached them, but I knew this was something I had to do.
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*PRESENT HINATA POV*
As I reached them, I called out, "Yukito-kun!"
Both Yukito and Kurohime-senpai turned to look at me, surprise evident on their faces. I took a deep breath, steadying myself.
"Sorry, Senpai, but I'm taking Yukito back," I said firmly, grabbing his arm.
Kurohime-senpai chuckled. "Looks like our date is over, Yukito-kun. Go on, your 'girlfriend' needs you."
I blushed furiously but didn't let go of Yukito's arm. "Let's go, Yukito. We have work to do."
As we walked back to our class booth, I felt a mix of relief and determination. It was time to face my feelings and finally understand why Yukito had rejected me all those years ago. And maybe, just maybe, it was the beginning of something new between us.
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