.
[-Continuation-]
.
[Ryota's POV]
We all reached the camp site.
And thus, the day's battle ended.
We were left with wounds that didn't shed blood, yet cut deeper than any physical injury ever could.
These wounds penetrated far beyond flesh and bone, reaching into our souls and inflicting a pain that lingered long after the day had ended.
These wounds didn't discriminate.
They affected both adults and kids alike.
The children struggled to comprehend the complexities of the adult world, while the adults found themselves increasingly out of touch with the innocence of childhood.
Overall, today's events serve as a lesson for all of them.
To the grown-ups who once understood what it was like to be a child… and are now figuring out the responsibilities of adulthood.
And for the children, it was an eye-opening experience that taught them about the harsh reality of being treated unfairly and the importance of standing up for what is right.
"What are you thinking so deeply…"
When I turned in the direction of the voice, it was Hachiman.
"Well, well, if it isn't the most uniconic 'MC' after dumping all the work on me."
….
.
[Hachiman's POV]
I made my way to the square, where the campfire blazed brilliantly, casting a warm glow over the surroundings.
In the flickering light, I could see the elementary schoolers circling around the humongous fire and singing in chorus.
It was one of those songs about being friends forever, and that sort of thing.
For me, though, it was a traumatic song instead.
Alone amidst the bustling activity, I found myself staring into the flames, lost in my thoughts, as my fellow high schoolers went to change clothes.
Soon the song ended, and it was time at last for the super exciting, super romantic folk dance. Gazing from outside the circle, it was strange how I could see something wonderful about an event I so loathed.
Caught in a moment of observation, I noticed Ryota standing nearby, his gaze occasionally drifting in a particular direction.
Following his line of sight, it was a group of kids, but they were different from other groups.
This particular group is alone for 'particular' reasons, sitting in the corner, silent, totally apart from the other kids who are deluded in their plays, having 'fun' dancing, and all…
But each and every one of the girls in the group had a long face.
Everyone in the group ignored each other. But from time to time, they sent sideways glances in the direction of a girl within their group.
Since they had revealed nothing but their bad sides to each other just a short while ago, it obviously went without saying.
They must be 'enjoying' their time. But I wondered if tonight would be the night they started talking to her, little by little.
Ignoring all that made my way toward the 'statue' like figure, as I had nothing to do.
"What are you thinking so deeply…" I called out to make him aware of my presence.
"Well, well, if it isn't the most uniconic 'MC' after dumping all the work on me."
…..Uniconic? Is that even a word? Sounds like something he just made up.
"You are the one who took it upon himself." I countered as I thought about his lame phrasing.
"Don't act innocent, Hachiman. You practically pushed me into it." He denied, shaking his head.
"Moreover, are you on your 'self-praising' mission again? You are the one who actually 'took this upon himself' more clearly than anyone else."
"I simply kept my word, and then again, everyone did their part…" I argued and added. "Well, I did propose the plan, and maybe even screwed up a bit with my rushed and undiscussed decision at the end."
"Your plan, huh? I will never forget the look on Hayama's face when he walked out of that room." Ryota chimed in with a hint of amusement in his tone.
"Of course... Who could forget something like that?" Out of nowhere, Ms. Hiratsuka joined in on the conversation.
"What are you doing here, Ms. Hiratsuka? I thought you were busy mingling with the elementary school teachers." I acknowledge her presence in a somewhat unwelcoming manner.
Indeed, just a while ago, I spotted her chatting with them… But as you can see, I chose to ignore her.
She reasoned, trying to sound reasonable. "I had to cut the conversation short since I spotted you."
…it isn't enough that you put Rytoa as 'spy' amongst us to oversee that we won't go overboard, and now you are even blaming me when in actuality it has nothing to do with me.
I kept my thoughts to myself, opting to remain silent.
After the initial conversation, we three just stood in silence looking at the campfire and a certain group of kids on its left side.
"What do you say, Ms. Hiratsuka? I did a pretty decent job, didn't I?" I initiated the conversation.
"Forcing them to be together like that, don't you think it's a bad idea?" Ms. Hiratsuka remarked, casting a critical eye over the awkward group of kids.
As usual, Ms. Hiratsuka, instead of answering my question, simply expressed her thoughts without any hesitation.
Why did I even bother asking such a question in the first place? That so dumb of me.
"When do you think a relationship falls apart, Ms. Hiratsuka?" I asked, following her method and directing my question towards both her and Ryota.
"It is when a financial crisis arises."(Ryota)
"Surely because of money, brat."(Hiratsuka)
"....." I deadpanned at both of their responses. Surprisingly, their answer was the same, only the terminology differed.
"Gotta prove your 'single' status every now and then, huh?" I muttered aloud, unable to hold back my sarcasm.
"I suppose I am to blame for asking the wrong individuals the wrong questions."
"Then why don't you share your insights with us, lone wolf Hikigaya Hachiman."(Ryota)
"You seem eager to have some action with my fist, Kid?"(Hiratsuka)
Two responses again... and I am clearly offended by the first and scared of the second.
I accepted. "True. Finance and money are valid reasons."
No, I don't really believe that, but I can't voice my disagreement now, can I?
"But ultimately, they all boil down to 'conflict' right?" I hurriedly began to speak, coming back to the topic.
"In the end, I say, a relationship falls apart when there is a lack of time dedicated to resolving the conflicts that arise."
"Many times, relationships suffer from a fear of confronting the situation rather than the situation itself. People need to stick together more closely during times of conflict, even more so than during leisure."
"So, even if I had to force it, I would rather give them more time to fight with each other than allow them to peacefully walk away." I concluded firmly.
"Even if you had to use force, huh?" Ms. Hiratsuka uttered.
Then, suddenly, a new voice joined the conversation.
"Don't mutter those words, as you aren't familiar with that maneuver, Ms. Hiratsuka." Yukinoshita chided, her voice cool and collected.
Yukinoshita, who had finished changing clothes at some point, came over to us, adding her presence to the discussion.
"...that was fast…" I said, remembering she clearly went ahead to change from the 'cosplay' outfit, but it was still fast, I say.
But ignoring my comment, she pressed on what she said just now. "You did the same thing with Hikigaya. You 'forced' him to join the Service Club using the excuse of punishment."
Oh. Is that what she's talking about?
For some reason, I didn't like the way she framed her words.
What does she mean by force? I only joined because I wanted to…
Before I could voice my thoughts, Ms. Hiratsuka jumped in.
"What can I do as a teacher? I can't just ignore two problem kids all alone with a loner issue. I had to step in." Ms. Hiratsuka cleverly blamed us again.
She then looked at Yukinoshita with a hint of surprise. "But, Yukinoshita, have you suddenly become defensive of Hikigaya, or are my eyes deceiving me?"
"Our objectives just happened to …..align occasionally." Yukinohita tried to dismiss her with a straight face, but she struggled to accept the last part.
"Humm… I must be seeing things, I guess?" Ms. Hiratsuka responded with a tone that didn't support her acceptance. "And I also had to be ready for the next time your objectives aligned, to clean up after the mess you caused."
Is she really complaining to us right now?
"Ms. Hiratsuka, what exactly are you trying to say?" I asked, hoping to cut through the ambiguity.
"What do I gain from proving anything? I am just thinking that you are a lot more messed up than I give credit for, and that's giving me a headache." She responded by rubbing her forehead.
"True." Someone chimed in immediately, offering support for her statement.
It was Ryota, and Yukinohita wasn't silent either, she also nodded her head in approval.
"And… Hachiman, that wasn't exactly a compliment." Ryota had to remind me of the situation.
I know that. It's not like I am taking pride in destroying a [Party] of noobs who don't have a speck of trust or unity. Definitely not.
"Hikigaya, your intentions are slipping out of your face." He again pointed out.
"...whatever, Ms. Hiratsuka, you still didn't give me an answer." I said, going back all the way back to the question I used to initiate the conversation after many redirections. "How well did I do?"
"Are you expecting a compliment or what?" She added. "You are being too shameless, brat."
"True."(Ryota)
Oh, these two are in perfect sync with each other.
"I am not expecting a compliment either. I just want to have an idea of the amount of earful I would receive later on." I explained.
"Fair, you do at least know you did something wrong, that is reassuring." Ms. Hirtuska said, analysing with a relife.
But what is she so worried about?
Ryota, who has been silent for a while, spoke up. "Still, what are you seeking validation from Hachiman? That isn't you."
He continued after a small pause. "Additionally, don't act like you've accepted your mistake just because you understand what you did. Understanding and acceptance are not the same thing."
"Oh, is that so? I never thought of it." I remarked, genuinely surprised... or maybe not, but I accepted it nonetheless.
"I guess I just did things without thinking about it."
"Anyway, I was just verifying if I made the right choice or not." I said my reasons.
If things involved only me, then I wouldn't have cared about this 'verification' and all, but it is not the same when the once-in-a lifetime childhood of naive kids is on the line.
Ryota started reassuringly. "Right choices don't always lead to right outcomes. You have to make it out as a good outcome yourself."
"And I say you half-succeeded in it." He said with a smirk and gave me a fist bump on my shoulder.
"Don't encourage him too much….. In the end, I am the one responsible for his actions." Ms. Hiratsuka butted in.
Ryota while walking away. "Then I will go and check up on the kids for a second."
"Right, then, as I said, I will leave the rest to you, Boss." I shouted.
"Tsk…. you think I am a babysitter." Is all I heard before he left.
"I will go too, I have to see for myself how bad things went for those poor kids…" Ms. Hiratsuka said with a sad look and took her leave.
That left me and Yukinoshita alone.
.
[To be continued….]
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