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[-Continuation-]
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[Third Person View]
Hachiman stood at his usual lunch spot, the sea breeze ruffling his perpetually messy hair.
He tilted his head back, draining the last drops from his MAX coffee can before tossing it into a nearby bin.
"Time for the meeting..." He muttered, his voice carrying a hint of resignation.
As he started walking, his mind drifted back to the thought that had been nagging him all day.
Yukinoshita. Something about her seemed... off today. He wondered.
Sure, she was gradually opening up to him, but this morning's encounter on the staircase felt different somehow.
Rightfully, no doubt she was stunning as always - that part didn't change. But the vibe, the undercurrent of their interaction, had shifted.
"I can just ask her." He mused aloud, then immediately grimaced at the thought.
Direct confrontation wasn't exactly his strong suit.
Approaching the Committee Meeting room, Hachiman's hand hesitated for a second on the door handle as he could hear chatter coming from inside.
I am on time, right?
He checked the time before sliding the door open and was greeted by the sight of Yukino and several other members already present.
'Huh, nope, I am not late. It was they who arrived early.' He thought, noting the unusual punctuality of the others.
But Hachiman really didn't get it.
No, not the reason for their early appearance, that much was certain to him - to select the slogan of the Cultural Festival.
However, he couldn't put a finger on what was there to get so excited about something so simple.
It is a fact that he doesn't understand, and he is also not willing to understand either.
….well, actually, maybe he already understood and concluded that it was not in his forte and ignored them.
Anyway, in contrast to his thoughts, the room buzzed with anticipation, and an undercurrent of excitement ran through the gathered students.
Hachiman's eyes, however, were focused on Yukino.
She sat ramrod straight, fingers flying over her laptop keyboard with incredible speed. Her brow was furrowed in concentration, with a slight furrow between her eyebrows that he found oddly endearing.
As he made his way to his chair, Hachiman casually halted in front of her.
For a moment, he simply observed her, taking in the focused set of her shoulders, the way her long hair fell forward slightly as she leaned towards the screen.
"Hey, Vice-chairman." He finally called out, his tone normal, despite the slight quickening of his pulse.
Yukino's fingers remained on the keyboard.
"....?" She looked up, her eyes meeting his, and for a split second, Hachiman thought he saw a flicker of... something... in her gaze.
But it was gone before he could identify it, replaced by her usual composed expression.
They looked at each other, both intensely aware of the change in their dynamics but not quite ready to address it. The air between them seemed to sizzle with unsaid tension, opposite to their surroundings.
Yukino broke the silence first, her voice steady despite the slight quickening of her pulse.
"Oh, if it isn't the Chairman." She said, emphasizing his title with a hint of sarcasm.
Hachiman shrugged, hands in his pockets. "Don't sound so surprised."
Yukino's eyebrow arched slightly. "Perhaps if you spent less time drinking MAX coffees and more time on your duties, we wouldn't be in this predicament with the festival slogan."
Hachiman wants to protest loudly, 'what does him drinking his own coffee, have to do anything with the festival slogan?' but he chose not to.
Instead, he leaned against the desk, his proximity causing Yukino to stiffen almost imperceptibly. "About that... I have got an idea for the slogan. Want to hear it?"
Yukino moved back into her chair, her fingers hovering over the keyboard as she pondered what he said.
"..." She looked up at him, their eyes meeting again. This time, the uncertainty between them was palpable.
"Very well." She said softly, her usual sharp tone softening just a fraction. "I am listening."
Hachiman lowered his voice slightly. "Alright, here's my idea for the slogan: 'Our Cultural Festival: Alone but Not Lonely'."
Yukino's eyes widened slightly, a mix of surprise and incredulity crossing her face. "Hikigaya, that's..."
"Brilliant? Groundbreaking? A stroke of genius?" He smirked.
"Inappropriate and potentially offensive." She finished, but there was a hint of amusement in her tone.
"Though I suppose I shouldn't have expected anything less from you."
Hachiman shrugged. "Think about it. It is memorable, relatable to our fellow youth, and it's got that cynical edge that will make people stop and think."
"It certainly makes one stop, though thinking might be a stretch." Yukino retorted.
She tapped her pen against her lips. "It's certainly unique….. But it also has several issues."
"Admit it, you're impressed." Hachiman grinned.
"I admit nothing of the sort." Yukino replied, but there was a glimmer in her eye that suggested otherwise.
As they are both talking to each other, a loud cough from another committee member.
Immediately, they both become aware of their surroundings again.
"We should... get started with the meeting." She spoke, her voice slightly husky.
Hachiman nodded, stepping back. "Yeah, we should."
While Hikigaya was settling down in his chair, Yukino noticed the noisy chatter that filled the conference room.
Normally, by now, everyone would have been seated and ready for the meeting. Yet today, the atmosphere was different and chaotic.
There were no signs of the meeting starting up as waves of noisy chatter spread throughout the room.
Yukino's sharp eyes caught Sagami in the middle of it all, standing in front of the whiteboard with her friends, her laughter grating on her nerves.
Just as she was about to step in, Hachiman intervened, his voice cutting through the noise. "Hmm, I wonder if being a committee member for a Cultural Festival is as fun as these guys playing it out be...?"
His voice was light, but it was enough to be heard by everyone.
"Pftt…"
"Hehhaa…"
The room quieted, and Hachiman's remark generated a few laughs.
??!!He saw Sagami stiffen, her laughter dying as she realized she was the target of his comment.
"Guess I was being a party pooper, huh?" Hachiman continued, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
"I-i am sorry!" Sagami's face flushed, and she quickly bowed, retreating to her seat.
Clearing my throat, Hikigaya addressed the group. "...*ahem, it seems senior Shiromeguri has already reported to you guys. So let's just begin wasting our time discussing the slogan of the Cultural Festival today."
…..and so the meeting was off to a chaotic start.
Hayato lifted his hand, signaling his intent to speak.
Yeah, we were short on time even after doing everything, so we had to take in some volunteers, and Hayato was one of them.
Hachiman acknowledged him with a nod. "Yeah, speak up."
Hayato's voice was steady and calm. "I think it might be too hard to say our ideas out loud. Why don't we write them down on paper? Explanations can be for afterwards."
Yukino, seemingly eager to keep me quiet, quickly agreed. "I suppose so… We will take a moment to do so."
Every member was handed a piece of white paper. Every person had a sheet, but you couldn't say the same for ideas. The atmosphere remained light-hearted, with members giggling and sharing jokes with each other.
In this process, even Hachiman took a slip, which did not go unnoticed by Yukino, the Vice-Chairman beside him.
"You are not thinking of writing the previous slogan, are you?" She immediately questioned.
"Of course not, do you take me for an idiot or what?" Hachiman replied with a nervous smile, knowing he had been seen through so easily.
Yukino was not at all convinced by his words but decided to let it go, thinking that even if he did write the same one, it wouldn't get more than one vote.
It is not like anyone with the right mind will actually support a slogan like that… She thought.
Little did she know, she would regret this assumption in the next few minutes.
After everyone wrote their own slogan, whether individually or as a team, they submitted them. One by one, each slip was picked up randomly and read aloud. This task was given to Yukino.
The process began with reading each slogan and counting the number of votes it received. As part of this process, Yukino picked up a new slip after recording the votes for the previous slogan on the whiteboard.
Opening the slip, she was ready to read it out loud.
"—!" But just as she was about to say the first word, she stopped.
This caught the attention of all the members.
Yukino sharply cornered her eyeballs to her left side on the figure with an irritated expression before proceeding.
"Our Cultural Festival: Alone but Not Lonely." She read, the irritation clear in her voice.
"...." Silence lingered for about two seconds.
Then, laughter emerged.
Not one, but exactly two.
Everyone looked in the direction of the voices, some to the right and others to the left.
"Haahaheehah…"
"Haaaaa…"
"That was funny." One voice spoke in between the laughter.
.
.
[To be continued…]
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