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[-Continuation-]
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[Hachiman's POV]
The ending ceremony was performed without issue.
Well, that said, I still had some leftover work. I adjusted the bag on my shoulders.
Inside my bag were memo notes of reports from all departments that needed to be organized by me, Chairman.
My final job was to aggregate all the reports given to me into a single report. Before I could input them into a computer, I needed to extract specific information from them.
My feet naturally carried me to a quiet place where I could concentrate.
In the special building, with no one around, I walked down the hallway and noticed the cold air. We were starting to get deep into autumn.
It's been half a year since I started passing through this hallway and started going to the Service Club.
I arrived at the club room and placed my hand on the door.
It was at that moment that I realized I didn't have the key.
Normally, I never had to worry about it, since 'she' would always arrive here first. But today, there was no proof she would be here.
I removed my hand from the door, thinking I should just give up and head home.
But the handle of the door was oddly light.
I went ahead and opened the door.
It was an unchanging, extremely normal classroom.
If anything seemed odd, it was because there was a single girl inside.
Under the setting sun, she was quietly moving her pen.
This painting-like scenery gave the illusion that even if the world had ended, she would, without a doubt, still be here in this room.
The moment I saw that, both my body and mind stopped.
Unwittingly, I found myself fascinated.
Noticing that I was standing there idly, Yukinoshita gently placed her pen on the desk.
"Oh, welcome, Mr. Chairman." She spoke, her voice carrying a familiar mix of politeness and subtle amusement.
"Or should I say, Ex-Chairman? Now that the event is over, I suppose you've been relieved of your burdensome title."
I sighed, stepping into the room. "Relieved is correct. Though knowing my luck, some other troublesome responsibility is probably lurking around the corner."
"Oh, please." Yukinoshita scoffed, her tone sharpening like a newly honed blade. The amusement in her eyes hardened into something more critical.
"Spare me the theatrics. I may not have a crystal ball to foresee every little disaster waiting to pounce on you, but let's not kid ourselves here. This time, you practically laid out a welcome mat for that so-called 'troublesome responsibility'."
She paused, her gaze steady. "Honestly, your talent for self-sabotage is nothing short of impressive."
"You are still at it." I said, more statement than question.
I approached her desk, my footsteps reverberating in the otherwise silent room.
Yukinoshita tilted her head slightly, her expression innocent yet somehow still managing to convey a sense of victory.
It was a look I had seen many times before, one that usually preceded a particularly cutting remark.
"Still at what, Hikigaya? I am merely stating facts. Are you implying your memory of volunteering for the position is flawed?"
Closing in the distance, I slammed my hands lightly on the desk, nearing her without warning. The papers she had been working on jumped, and her pen rolled off the edge, but neither of us paid any attention to that.
For a second, I looked down at her from where I stood, then bent slightly to meet her blue eyes.
Throughout all of this, I didn't notice a single fluctuation in her emotional state or facial expression. Either she was pretending, or she genuinely didn't care.
"But I don't know that you are that worried about me…" I spoke, the words spilling out as we faced each other.
For a moment, silence reigned. Then, Yukinoshita's eyes narrowed slightly, a flicker of something - Perhaps annoyance? Perhaps interest? - passing through them.
"Worried? Think whatever you want, but for me, I don't like the fact that you do things that you don't want to do, especially under the pretence of helping me."
It's not pretence or disguise, lady. I was really helping you with a problem that only I knew about.
I almost snorted. If only she knew.
"Who said I didn't like the things I have been doing as chairman? Believe me, they were the best. Ordering people around is... enjoyable." It wasn't entirely a lie.
Sure, it had been uncomfortable from the beginning to the end, but it had its own moments. And there was a certain satisfaction in getting things done.
"Well, I don't like it." She commented firmly.
"What do you want me to do then?" I asked, exasperated.
"...I don't know..." She deadpanned.
Seriously? Is this the same Yukino Yukinoshita that I am aware of?
The one who always had an answer, an opinion, and a razor-sharp retort ready. This vague and ambiguous response was so out of character that it threw me for a loop.
It was like hearing a cat bark.
At first, I thought it was her high self-esteem speaking again, but I realized there was more to it. This issue was bound to arise sooner or later, so I decided to confront it head-on.
"Yukino." I said, using her first name deliberately. "What you're trying to say is that you don't want me to intervene in meddlesome things, especially yours."
"Hm-uhm…" She nodded silently, her eyes never leaving mine.
"Not happening." I said firmly.
"....and I think it's too late to even talk about this. You had your chance to speak up at the beginning, but you let it be. Now you just have to deal with it."
Right, there will be many things happening in the future, which I do think she has the capability to handle by herself, but that doesn't mean I will just sit tight like a proper house husband.
A thought struck me, and I added. "But who knows? Maybe you still have one last chance to stop this 'busybody' right here."
I held my breath, realizing the weight of what I was offering.
This was serious - I didn't know what I'd do if she actually told me to stop.
"But I said I don't like that." She said firmly, a hint of confusion in her voice.
Oh. Which part exactly? The 'busybody' thing or the 'stopping it here' part?
"I get what you are saying."
"That's a lie, is that what you're going to say next." She said, her voice tinged with disappointment.
"Need I remind you, what you said yourself, 'do not believe it when someone says - I get what you mean'."
Damn her memory…?
I never thought my own offhand advice would come back to bite me like this.
If I remember correctly she is probably referring to the advice I gave to Kawasaki Saki.
"Right, I did say that…. and I still believe it is true…" I admitted. "...and I stand by it."
"See…" She pointed out.
"But it was an incomplete one." I interrupted her midway.
"There's another half that I didn't mention, as I thought it was unnecessary in that particular instance."
I took a deep breath and continued. "If anyone says they 'get it', don't believe them. But if someone out there actually managed to make you believe it even after that, then don't let go of them."
I repeated myself again, sharing one of my treasured pieces of advice I have been passed on by my 'father' as a so-called family lineage of ours.
"You think you managed to make me believe that you truly understand me." Yukinoshita said, her voice softening.
If this had been our first meeting in the service club room, I might have confidently answered 'yes'.
But now? I wasn't so sure.
All things considered, it is possible that I don't know Yukinoshita as well as I thought I did.
I thought I would know her better than anyone else, but I guess I can't technically say I know everything about her simply because I got a glimpse into her inner thoughts by watching a show.
How arrogant of me.
Ugh, whatever.
"Of course ….not." I responded, then continued. "But I will definitely manage to do that one day."
"That was a good choice of words, Hikigaya." She said, a hint of approval in her voice. "If you had said 'yes', I would have been really disappointed in myself."
Herself. Not me?
….
.
[To be continued…]
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