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[-Continuation-]
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[Hachiman's POV]
After the incident with the Kawasaki siblings was finished, my schedule was swamped with exams every day for a whole week, extending until Monday.
Today marked the day when all the exam results were due to be returned.
Speaking of exam results, let's just say I was ranked above ten in all subjects, and I had succeeded in defending my number three ranking in Japanese as usual.
Oh, and not only was it the day we got the exam results back, it was the day of the event that had been looming over us for quite some time - the workplace tour.
However, the destination for my workplace tour didn't align with my initial plans...
"Hakatani, you seem irritated?"
Is there even a need to identify the person questioning me?
I mean, there is only one individual who calls me 'Hakatani' and can get by safely. He should value this privilege... not many people are as fortunate as him.
"You would be if your workplace tour was rejected just because, goddamn, nobody else was interested in it."
Yeah, the place I am currently in is not related to anything I have decided with Ms. Hiratsuka. Instead, I am with the group choose, and by that, I mean 'Hayato' choose was an electronic tool maker whose name I never heard of before yesterday.
Well, 'maybe' I did hear it... but anyway, that's not the point.
"No need to be so down about it. I hope you can enjoy this." Hayato cheered me on.
And, of course, I don't like it. "Tsk, whatever, Mr. Goddyshoes."
…ignoring my annoyance for a second, this place did function as a simple company office building and a research institution. It was also linked to a museum operating in the vicinity. It was an enterprise that perfectly incorporated interactive fun, what with the screen theater that took up every square inch of the museum and so on.
However, unlike any other exhibition, the work of a machine maker was actually 'fun' to look at, even for a loner like me.
If Hayato had picked this place without even being aware of how good it was, then that was a good thing about him - He had an excellent sixth sense.
…hehe, he will definitely be of use to me in the future. So enduring a little inconvenience isn't a big deal.
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And so we continued on the path, with a company official guiding us.
Our group consisted of Totsuka, Hayato, and me, as we agreed on that day.
Or at least, that was how it should have been.
But in reality, Totsuka was already taken away by a flock of girls who are now going around looking so shocked and dismayed that you would think he was being bullied if you didn't know him well.
People from other groups also began to gather behind Hayato(:and me) like flies. But among those groups, there is another 'one' eyeing us with three guys who were supposed to be in a different group altogether, along with Miura and the others.
Anyway, coming to the 'one' group behind us…
"Hey Hayato, you are not dating that 'thing' standing over backwards, are you?" I asked with a straight face, gesturing to the person behind us.
Hayato gave a small glance at the 'thing' I pointed at. "Eh, what are you talking about?"
Though taken aback, he answered. "There is nothing like that. We are simply friends, and I would like it if you stopped disrespecting them."
"Yeah. Yeah. Just friends." I chuckled and added. "Guess it is just one-sided."
"I said it's nothing." He pressed on.
"I thought you stopped playing dumb after that incident, at least not in front of me." However, I clicked his sore spot, bringing up the reason he came to Service Club.
"..." He turned silent.
"Hehe, anyway, I would love to see your life fall into ruins if you had been together for real." Deciding it was enough for serious stuff, I teased him.
"Hikatani, do you hate me?" This time it was his turn to point out.
"You doubt that?"
"Hey, I could tell you are lying." He dismissed my words without beating an eye.
Where is this confidence coming from? I mean, it is true, I don't hate him. But still…
"...you really don't want to see me together with her, huh?" Hayato muttered in a hushed tone.
"I am no one to comment." Catching up, I clarified.
"You are saying this after all you said."
Ho, sh*t! He is using his brain for real. Gotta retreat.
"Anyway, I will slowly slip myself into at last of the groups. I hope your hands will be full of handling things around you, and don't get any time to enjoy yourself."
"That is a weird blessing."
Parting with my wishes, I quietly activated my special skill to crawl back into last as naturally as possible, and ended up trailing well behind the rest of the group.
How awesome was I, taking on the position of a lord on my own initiative? If I were a commander in the warring states era, I would have deserved a medal.
While staying back, I tried counting here and there, it seemed around five groups had turned up here.
That is when I spotted a certain orange haired figure.
Yeah, Yuigahama is also part of our group.
At the thought of this, I slowly reminisced about Yuigahama's interference in our otherwise calm and soothing Service Club.
"...well, I already decided. No need to think about it again."
After wrecking my head like there is no tomorrow, I came up with a way to 'move forward' with Yuigahama.
I mean, there is no way now Yuigahama will still be uncertain of whether I am aware she was the owner of the dog or not since she had met Komichi.
In accordance with this current situation, I should be confronting her regarding this matter, which would cause disruption in the Service Club I had discussed with Yukinoshita.
However, in the conclusion of my prolonged idea, I finally landed on a brilliant one - That is to render everything to dust.
I think this is enough of playing hide and seek.
The only reason I restrained myself was for Yukino, and I wasn't lying when I asked for her advice.
I genuinely don't want to see 'her' sad, not because of me, but I think it is better this way…
It is eventually going to crumble anyway, and I think I have given them enough time to nature there bound, and all it takes is one truth to surface out to destroy that bound, then I better crush that bound until not even its remaining are left behind.
And, from what I remember, this is around the time when 'I' tried to clear up the 'misunderstanding' between us.
The only reason why the Hachiman[Me] in the plot confronted Yuigahama is because of his over self-esteem trait.
…yeah, even a loner like him has some standards for how he makes friends, and sympathy is not definitely one of them.
The idea of Yuigahama befriending him out of guilt or to express her thankfulness through this gesture didn't sit right with him.
So as soon as he found out the truth that Yuigahama is the owner of the dog he happens to save, he went straight to her to clear up the 'misunderstanding'.
He couldn't care less whether this deception of his is accurate or not. From his personal previous experiences, he didn't want to take chances.
In fact, if you were to ask me, I believe there is no denying the influence of that incident on their relationship.
Nonetheless, what Hachiman couldn't understand is that - That is how bonds are formed.
People come into your life with few expectations based on the outward projections of your actions, but the bond is only formed when they stay with us and like us, regardless of whether their initial views and concepts of us are wrong or right.
When that doesn't happen, they simply leave us.
Nothing otherworldly concept.
But my boy at that time, with zero experience, got so riled up over this and blew it up all in one go, practically snarling at her. Though it was all back to normal again in the future.
So considering all this, I did consider the option of not meddling in this matter any more and letting things be as they are.
But looking at the bigger picture, it would be better to come out and stir up the conflict and then resolve it.
What I will be doing is just buying time by postponing it to some other time.
Again, I hate to admit it, but that girl, Yuigahama, I doesn't mind her presence as a nuisance. She really did grow on me and Yukinoshita.
….and maybe I do consider her a decent friend.
.
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[To be continued….]
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