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[-Continuation-]
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[Hachiman's POV]
Let me give you a heads-up here. My anxiety is not due to a lack of preparation, but rather because I am fully prepared.
You get what I am trying to say, right?
Hum… Anyway, it's a truly unfathomable feeling to experience.
–Huffuuu~~(:exhale)
After taking a deep breath to steady myself, I entered the classroom behind Ms. Hiratsuka.
"Excuse me." I announced my presence, unlike certain individuals who barged in unannounced.
Looking around the room, it was pretty empty, with chairs and tables piled up in cluttered stacks along the edge.
But my focus didn't linger on the room or its belongings for long.
Because the center of attraction was completely someone else.
-A Girl-
And the moment she entered my field of vision, my mind and body seemed to freeze in place. I couldn't help but be captivated by her beauty.
With the soft glow of the sunset casting a warm halo around her, she sat there reading a book as her long black, silky hair fell around her shoulders and back.
-[Yukinoshita Yukino]-
Elegant and refined, she seemed to possess an otherworldly grace that set her apart from the other girls in our class, despite wearing the same uniform.
Damn, I know she was pretty, all from my memories and a few rumors… So I set my bar a lot higher to not space out like an idiot in front of her, but this…
As I was dazing out at Yukinoshita, realizing there were visitors, she placed a bookmark in her paperback book and looked up.
And the first person she looked at was me…
Maybe she heard my voice or was affected by my 'too much' intense staring.
"..." Her eyes locked onto mine, momentarily holding me captive in their cold, nonchalant stare.
'!...!' My casual posture straightened up a little in response.
And the obvious reason for her cold eyes was undoubtedly my too-obvious stare. There is no need to give it a second thought.
Her eyes stayed on me for a few more seconds before eventually shifting back towards Ms. Hiratsuka, marking her as a new target.
...but this time, her gaze seemed comparably less deadly.
"Ms. Hiratsuka. I thought I told you to knock before you enter…"
"Even if I do knock, you never respond."
"That's because you enter before I have time to respond." Yukinoshita gave a disapproving look in response to Ms. Hiratsuka's words.
She continued looking at me. "And who is that 'uninvited' and 'anonymous' student with you?"
Yep! She is the same prideful and confident Yukinoshita Yukino, and she is, as always, soooo welcoming, just as I remember her to be.
Well, no use getting riled up about it. I will just let her do her thing, or else I will only be fueling her hostility.
"..." Indifferent to her harsh words directed at me, I simply stood, choosing not to react.
Instead, I looked at Ms. Hiratsuka, the individual who is responsible for bringing me here, all while keeping my hands tucked away in my pockets.
"This is Hikigaya. He's looking to join the club." Prompted by my gaze, Ms. Hiratsuka nodded at me in acknowledgement.
Well, now it's time for my grand entrance, I suppose.
"I am Hikigaya Hachiman of Grade 11, Class F." I introduced myself by looking directly into Yukino Yukinoshita's piercing gaze head-on.
Her steely eyes locked onto mine, but I didn't reject it. If anything, I found her unwavering gaze intriguing. It felt like she was trying to figure something out about me, and I was equally curious about what she saw.
Was it curiosity?
No. It was something else.
After I was done, I turned towards Ms. Hiratsuka, seeking an explanation. "However, teach, what do you mean by 'looking to join the club'?"
I raised an eyebrow, feigning ignorance, even though I already knew what was up.
"Exactly what it means, Hikigaya. You must engage in this club's activities as a penalty. I won't allow any disagreement, objection, protest, questions, or retorts. Cool down for a bit. Reflect on your actions!" Without allowing me any room to protest, she declared her verdict with great resolution.
"With that being said, you can probably tell by looking, but his heart is considerably corrupt. As a result, he's a pitiable and lonely, but overly confident, a little prideful, arrogant beyond reason, and a totally self-centred egoist person." She added turning in Yukino Yukinoshita's direction, explaining my in-depth personality.
"So, can I leave him to you? I am requesting that you straighten out his corrupt and introverted behavior." She concluded, almost as if she were handing her child to a teacher.
"I respectfully decline." Yukinoshita stated.
"Self-centered egoists are the worst kind of humanity, and I have no tolerance for them." She clarified.
Yukino Yukinoshita. You, who have reached the highest point of what you consider egotism, are the least suitable person to be criticizing me like this. It's a realm that I can't even begin to understand.
"Furthermore, I detest how he arrogantly judges others based solely on their appearance." Yukinoshita continued with a hateful tone.
…
True. Unknowingly, the way Hikigaya gazed at Yukinoshita as soon as he stepped inside the room left a bitter taste in her mouth.
Now, if it had been just another judgmental look, she wouldn't have given it a second thought. She's seen plenty of those before and has learned to brush them off. But there was something different about the way Hikigaya looked at her.
It brought to mind those specific comparisons she often hears from people connected to her family's business. And it rubbed her the wrong way.
Though she couldn't quite pinpoint who exactly Hikigaya was comparing her to, she was clearly not okay with it...
Yet Hikigaya remained blissfully unaware of the chaos he had unknowingly stirred up, lost in his own world.
…
Wow! She is sharp with her eyes …and tongue as well, I suppose.
But hey, that wasn't my intention if I had come out as such.
It was like simply comparing the Yukino Yukinoshita in front of me to the one I pictured her to be in my mind.
Even though I knew it was wrong, it was just an instinctual reaction to see how accurate or far off I was… it was only a natural thing to do, wasn't it…?
But I can't say that now. Can I?
When Yukinoshita accused me, Ms. Hiratsuka first looked at me with a puzzled expression that seemed to say, 'What have you done this time?'
In response, I just made a dismissive face and shrugged my shoulders cluelessly, conveying my message of 'I don't know.'
Yukinoshita just stood there, observing our interaction, and the irritating look on her face served as evidence that she understood my shameless act of denying her claims with a poker face.
…way to make my first impression on someone I was looking forward to meeting.
Ms. Hiratsuka started with a soft sigh, her expression akin to that of a parent covering up their child's mischief from the principal. "Even though he is a self-centered egoist, he is quite good at judging and knows when to abort if he concludes that the situation is getting out of hand."
She explained. "He ignores them as if he wasn't bothered from the beginning. In the end, he is pretty easy to deal with once you get the hang of using it against him."
Hey, Teach, don't go around sharing my not-so-strong suit with everyone.
But hey, at least she addressed the first part of Yukino's complaint.
"As for the latter part…" Ms. Hiratsuka gave me one last sideways glance before continuing.
"I am sure it was a misunderstanding. I can assure you, he's not that type. So what do you say…?"
Didn't know she thought this highly of me. Now I feel like I betrayed her…
So as compensation, I am willing to forgive her for all the oppression that she has used on me.
"Misunderstanding, huh? And also the type who knows when to give up…I see…" Yukinoshita commented thoughtfully, receiving an approval certificate from Ms. Hiratsuka - I am not some man-eating monster.
You both do realize I am standing right in front of you, don't you?
"However, is that something I should be viewing in a positive light?"
Of course it is. Is there even a need to ask?
"Well, if it's a request from Ms. Hiratsuka, I can't very well refuse-"
"…..I accept." Yukinoshita accepted, with a slight intrigue hidden in her voice.
"Okay. Then, I will leave the rest to you." Ms. Hiratsuka smiled with satisfaction
As she turned to leave the room, she cast a glance back at Yukinoshita, her expression softening with a touch of regret.
"Good luck." She spoke, her tone carrying a note of apology for leaving Yukinoshita with such a difficult task.
Just before she disappeared through the doorway, she added in haste. "You too, Hikigaya."
–thud!
Then she closed the door, leaving me alone in the room.
Yeah, right… Like I would believe that. It was the first scene in the show.
I knew she was still lurking right outside the door.
But… Whoa! For a second, I thought Yukinoshita might not give in to Ms. Hiratsuka.
That's when it hit me - How much I was actually looking forward to meeting her in person, making me even think that this might be the best decision I have made in my life.
Before I could plan my next move, though, I needed to clear my name.
So, without further ado, I took an empty chair placed adjacent to Yukinoshita, just four feet away, and made myself comfortable.
"..." - "..."
In the next half a second, the room was enveloped in silence, except for the occasional wind blowing in from the open window.
During those quiet moments, my eyes never wavered from Yukino Yukinoshita.
"...*cough…" I fake-coughed my throat in an attempt to get her attention.
"...what is it?" Yukinoshita looked at my side from her book and asked in a slightly irritated tone, probably due to my stares up until now.
.
.
[To be continued….]
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