.
[-Continuation-]
[-Next Day-]
.
[Hachiman's POV]
The day after our(:my) infiltration into the maid café, which resulted in another failed plan, the number of people gathered in the Service Club was a record high.
Aside from the usual and obviously only club members - Yukinoshita, Me, and Yuigahama, there were three extra people.
It also wasn't so mysterious to see Totsuka and Zaimokuza here since they visited us from time to time, but the last person's presence was a surprise.
However, as unusual and mysterious as it was for him to be here, he blended into the surroundings without issue.
"What brought you here, Hayato?" I inquired, looking at the same person.
Hold on. I believe I already know the reason.
Isn't he the scapegoat material required to meet the eligibility criteria for [Plan-C]?
He waved his hand in a self-effacing gesture. "You see, Yui called me here…"
"Yuigahama did?" I turned around to see Yuigahama with her chest puffed up with pride for some reason.
I say you absolutely deserve to take pride in this Yuigahama. You do.
"Yep, I kinda thought about it, and don't you think there has to be some kinda reason Kawasaki changed? So I thought it would be good to get rid of the cause, but, like, that's kinda hard to do when no one tells us what that cause is, ya know?"
"Yeah, I guess."
Hearing my half-assed agreement, Yuigahama puffed out her chest even further. "I know, right?! That's why we need to think of something to counter it. If she changed for the worse once, then we can change her for the better this time."
"So, why was it necessary to call Hayato?" Yukinoshita spoke somewhat thornily, as if she did not think highly of Hayato's capabilities, which I absolutely like.
…oh yeah, if you hadn't guessed yet, it was Hayato I was talking about earlier.
Anyway, he seemed not to be particularly bothered by Yukinoshita's comment, and instead he turned his attention towards Yuigahama.
"You don't get it, Yukinon." Yuigahama said. "There is only one thing that will always make a girl change, that i-is... you know, love."
Yuigahama was the most embarrassed of all of us, as she slowly blurted out the four-letter word while playing with her two index fingers.
She stammered, trying to cover her embarrassment. "A-anyway! When you like someone, your whole world changes! I thought we should get someone who could trigger that reaction… so I called Hayato."
"Er, I don't know why you thought of me." Hayato said this to Yuigahama with a strained smile.
[Oi, you bastard, if you don't even know why she thought of you, I will get even more pissed off at you.]
I could clearly read Zaimokuza's thoughts, which were filled with curses towards Hayato, as he glared at him with chilling, venomous eyes at approximately the same moment I did.
Hayato added. "I am sure there are a lot of other guys who get along with girls. Even among us… isn't Totsuka quite popular?"
[Oh, good… so Hayato is aware of his own popularity… I mean, no, I'll never forgive that asshole.] Zaimokuza's relevance in taking a step back from cursing Hayato was evident as he turned his head away.
"M-me? I don't really know about that…" Totsuka looked down, his face reddening.
Yuigahama, upon seeing how Totsuka looked, folded her arms and pondered slightly. "Hmm. I think Sai is cute too, but I don't reckon he's Kawasaki type. The other guy here is, let's face it, Chuuni is a chuuni."
When did she nickname Zaimokuza as 'Chuuni'? Was her brain unable to comprehend 'Chuunibyou' and made it short?
Yuigahama finished pointing at Hayato. "That leaves only you."
"Oi, don't just casually leave me out." I interjected.
In response, she turned bright red. "Y-you're out of the question, Hikki!"
...a-again? Same expression.
Just get over this plan already! I screamed in my mind.
.
…
[-After Some Time-]
{Plan-D : Love}
{Result : Failed(:miserably)}
{Reason : Who cares?}
"So it looks like I was rejected." Hayato laughed sheepishly.
"Oh, good jo-!pffffft!" I intended to offer words of comfort, but a snort escaped me uncontrollably.
An unfamiliar sensation was kicking me in the stomach.
In an attempt to stifle my laughter, I fought against the feeling that had come over me, but the guy next to me seemed to be on a rampage.
"HAHA, BWAHAHAHAHA! You got r-rejected! Rejected! Not such hot stuff after all, getting rejected! Bwahahaha!" Zaimokuza roared into laughter.
You, Zaimokuza, truly have no idea how to restrain yourself.
"Sh-shuddup already, Zaimokuza pfffft…" I snorted loudly but still couldn't control my laughter in the end.
"It's mean to laugh, you two!" Totsuka told us off, looking as if he was trying very hard to hold back on his laughter himself.
Zaimokuza's bellowing laughter was infectious, and he just couldn't help himself.
"No, no. It's okay. It doesn't bother me, Totsuka." Hayato said, grimacing.
….man, he is a nice guy. He helped us out despite his misgivings, and because of that, he had suffered humiliation. And yet he took it like the good sport he was.
"*cough…*cough." Predictably enough, Zaimokuza stifled his laughter as he considered Hayato's situation and coughed loudly instead.
He came forward and patted Hayato on the back. "Sir Hayama… you don't have to pretend to be so tough, pfffft! Hahahaha!"
However, he failed to contain himself, just like me.
"Idiot! Quit it, Zaimokuza! Stop making me laugh! Pfthhaa!" I scolded between fits of laughter.
As Zaimokuza and I roared in laughter, Yuigahama's face stiffened. "You guys are the worst…"
"So this was a failure too." Said Yukinoshita.
"It couldn't be helped. Tonight, we will try going to the other store." Yukinoshita has already started planning for our last option.
"Guess so…" I wheezed.
This was fun.
It was the first time I would ever be glad to join the Service Club for another reason.
-Period-
.
.
[-Same Day-]
[Hachiman's POV]
It was [21:20], according to my wristwatch, and I was standing in front of Hotel Royal Okura. The bar, 'Angel Ladder,' was on the top floor.
It was the final store in Chiba's central business district with 'angel' in its name that operated until the early hours in the morning.
As per Yuigahama's text message, our meetup was scheduled for the prime time of [21:30] right in front of the elevators.
With a solid ten minutes to spare, I strolled inside, slowly digesting how big it was. The soft glow emanating from the building made it look like it had dropped in from another world.
Clearly, this was a [Stronghold] not meant for the average high schooler.
A fancy carpet was laid out in front of me - was this some kind of Academy Awards setup?
Nevertheless, suppressing the urge to gawk at my surroundings, I kept moving forward, paying attention to the hallway that led to the elevators.
Ignoring a tempting sofa, I chose to lean casually against the wall.
After all, to fit in at the Angel Ladder, you need [Stealth] skills, or at least the ability to look like you belong in a place where high schoolers usually hesitate to go.
"Freaking hell, this place is a whole different league." I muttered to myself, fully aware that 'fitting in' wasn't going to be a walk in the park.
It kinda reminds me of the party I attended 'recently' which I wouldn't be calling my best experience.
Feeling a bit suffocated, I tried to give my neck some space by adjusting my collar. Strangely, the outfit wasn't tight at all – it fit is just perfect.
It was more about my brain playing tricks on me, making me feel out of place in this fancy spot.
Oh, let me break down my look for you – a new jacket, a cool-colored shirt with a black stand-up collar, formal ankle length jeans, and some pointy leather shoes. Topped off with my fresh rectangular sunglasses, which are also new.
Overall, it wasn't the sort of stuff I wore every day.
My hair was even gelled and everything, courtesy of Hikigaya Komachi. In fact, she is the one who picked up a full set of new clothes currently present in my wardrobe.
Despite that, Komachi went a bit wild, turning the whole house upside down to get me this look. So, apart from the shades, everything's her pick.
But, gotta admit, I am looking pretty sharp right now.
…
.
"S-sorry for the wait." Right after a minute or so, Yuigahama spotted me.
She wore a crimson red dress that traced a circuitous line around her neckline as her hair was tied up into a bun.
Overall, she looked like a beautiful, sweet-smelling lady rather than a teenage girl. In fact, I would probably be confused if she happened to act more composed.
"Where are the other two?" Yukinoshita asked.
She wore a jet black dress. The fabric of her dress exuded an air of unadulterated radiance, complementing the beauty of her pale skin, as white as virgin snow.
Her flare skirt, which went down to her knees, showed off her shapely legs. And what was even more bewitching was her fine, silky black hair. It was tied up in a single loose ponytail and fell down to her chest, looking like an ornament.
There was no mistaking it whatsoever. It was Yukinoshita Yukino.
...and I have completely fallen.
"You look pretty." I complimented her.
"Eh, H-hikki?" Yuighama once again stuttered.
"..." While Yukinoshita simply stared.
God, her poker face. A hint of blush on her cheeks right now would have been nice to see...
"...*cough, I mean, you both look good in this outfit." Faking a cough, I commented. "And as for Zaimokuza and Totsuka, they didn't have anything to meet the dress code."
It was unfortunate, but it is what it is…
I even attempted to lend them some of my outfits, which, unsurprisingly, didn't work out. Totsuka was too short for them, and Zaimokuza somehow managed to fall for my outfits…
"I see." Was the only reply I got from Yukino.
"Yeah, unlike women, who luckily could almost fit in with each other's dresses, men don't have that luxury. If so, I could have let them borrow from my wardrobe, but one guy doesn't fit and the other guy is too big for my size of dress. So it can't be helped." I complained.
"No need for an explanation. I could see right through your intentions of bragging about your collection of clothes. However, I do wonder why you bought those, though. I mean, you don't have 'any' friends to attend parties with." Yukinoshita did not miss a chance to stick me.
What do you mean by 'any'? Remind you that I do, in fact, have a few friends.
Doesn't Zaimokuza count as one? And there is 'him' too…
And apart from that, there are a few more candidates I am contemplating in order to take our acquaintance to the level of friendship.
"Yep. I don't have 'many' friends. But only for now. I bought them for future use." I replied confidently.
"Well, at least your confidence in making friends is admirable." Yukinoshita shook her head.
While her words may seem like a compliment on the surface, they actually hint that my confidence might be all I have going for me, with a subtle challenge behind it.
Anyone could see what you are getting at, Yukinoshita.
"Thank you." For now, I will take it as a compliment and forget about the rest.
.
.
[To be continued….]
★─────⇌•★•⇋─────★
[Author Reminder : 20+chapters advance in Patreon.]
-->patreon.com/WrightBrothers