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[-Continuation-]
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[Third Person View]
On Hachiman's side, Ryota's eyes were also fixed on the same spot with an intense stare.
Without looking at each other, Ryota whispered, not wanting to point.
"Hey, do you see that?"
Hachiman nodded slowly, still trying to make sense of what he was seeing.
"I think I might have witnessed something I wasn't supposed to." He muttered, his voice low and troubled.
He may now have to postpone his hunt for Ramen for a while.
Hachiman expected a nod of agreement from Ryota, but after a few seconds of silence, he realized something was off.
Turning to his side, Hachiman was shocked to find an empty space where Ryota should have been.
?!...Surprise jolted through him as he scanned the area, searching for his friend.
"H-Hikigaya!" But before he could find Ryota, someone else found 'him' and shouted at him from afar in a familiar voice.
Hachiman spun around instinctively to see the same Hirtasuka Shizuka whom he was spying on a few seconds ago, but Ryota was not where he expected him to be.
Instead, his friend entered the wedding hall with a bouquet of roses clutched in his hands.
"Where the hell did he get that…? And where the hell is he running off to…." He muttered, completely perplexed by this sudden turn of events, trying to make sense of what was going on.
Apparently unconcerned or unaware about Hachiman's inner struggle, the supposed 'black bolt' turned away from the married couple and rapidly said.
"O-Oh, that's a problem child over there! I-I have my job to get to, s-so I will be leaving now!"
She gave a half-assed excuse and turned towards him with her knees hitting the ground, while Hachiman stood frozen, his gaze darting between Ryota's walking away figure and Hiratsuka Shizuka's approaching figure.
Before he could even wrap his head around his head, the act had already begun.
Ryota just straight up walked over the stage, and the black blot walked down the stage almost simultaneously.
"Hikigaya! You came at a good time! You're a lifesav-!?" Shizuka shouted, still a little far away from him, but irrespective of that, she was not able to complete her sentence.
Because just as the lady was a few steps away from grabbing hold of Hachiman, she at last noticed the familiar but not so familiar figure that walked past her.
"Hey, extra pair of hands..." Turning around, she called out, but Ryota brushed past her without acknowledgement.
Ryota is really irritated right now. He was also long past his age for still being single, so he understood Shizuka's feelings, and he just decided to help her out a little.
He just went to the stage and bowed, introducing himself to the newlyweds as Shizuka's friend.
Hachiman reluctantly entered the wedding hall and stopped beside Shizuka, standing side by side, mouths agape, watching this bizarre scene play out. Their shared look of utter dumbfoundedness.
"Ms. Hiratsuka… Just so you know, I have nothing to do with anything that will happen now, okay? So no physical violation, please." Hachiman, without a care, abandoned his friend.
"....." Shizuka stayed silent, watching Ryota.
Now, under the duo's watchful eyes, the other wedding guests, particularly the women, began to take notice of the handsome newcomer.
They crowded around Ryota, peppering him with questions, and somehow, as if playing a part in a drama, he acted shy and flustered.
Then, in a move that made Hachiman's stomach churn, Ryota 'confessed' that he had proposed to Shizuka but had been rejected.
The reaction followed by that confession was immediate and intense.
"Oh. How could one turn down such a fine Young man…" One woman gasped, dramatically covering her mouth with her hand.
Her eyes darted between Ryota and where Shizuka stood, judgement clear in her gaze.
Another woman, her face set in determination, declared.
"I will have a word with her after this." Her tone suggested she was ready to give Shizuka a piece of her mind.
Hachiman judged her to be the mother of his teacher by the matching faces and also a small but intense exchange of glances he just happened to witness.
Ryota, still playing around with his lies, quickly interjected.
"Please don't. Though I like her, I don't want to force her into this." His voice was soft, laced with fake regret that made Hachiman's skin crawl.
"Ohh... You are such a good man." Cooed another lady, her eyes gleaming with opportunity. "You know what, I have a daughter..."
As Hachiman watched Ryota's performance. Each bashful smile, every shy glance Ryota threw – it was all so fake, so calculated – it was all too much.
He fought the urge to gag, his face contorting in disgust.
An older married couple nearby caught Hachiman's eye, giving him a curious once-over.
Feeling suddenly self-conscious, Hachiman instinctively bowed, trying to blend into the background.
As the women continued to fawn over Ryota, alternating between sympathy for his 'rejection' and not-so-subtle attempts to set him up with their own daughters or nieces.
After what felt like an eternity of awkward questions and barely concealed gossip, the three of them finally managed to extract themselves from the wedding party.
They hurried away, the sound of curious whispers following them out.
For a short period, they continued to walk in silence, Hachiman keeping his safe distance.
And as soon as they made the turn at a corner into a park, they finally stopped.
"Phew… Looks like we got away for now…" Shizuka massaged her chest as she breathed out a sigh of relief.
"I mean, you, right?" Hachiman replied.
Her black party dress formed an elegant arc with the lines of her body, and a fur neck wrap was wrapped around her pale nape. Her tied-up hair was glossy black, as if it were arranged with her dress. The hand that grabbed me wore a black glove that matched her dress and was surprisingly soft.
Instead of replying, she just took out a cigarette from her bag and began tapping it to tighten it.
She ignited her hundred yen lighter and slowly lit up her cigarette.
Hachiman was completely flabbergasted by how completely different she looked moments earlier, with people nagging her.
Regardless of his thoughts, he suddenly piped up. "Hey, uh... isn't it kinda weird for you to just take off like this? I mean, it's a wedding, right?"
Shizuka waved her hand dismissively. "Nah, they won't even notice I am gone. I left my congratulations gift with them."
She paused, then added. "...and besides, the wedding is already finished. It's just an after-party."
"Okay." Hachiman muttered, still looking unconvinced.
Shizuka cocked her head, eyeing him curiously. "Why the concern? It's unlike you to fuss over social niceties."
Hachiman shrugged. "I dunno, it just seems like a big event, isn't it?"
Shizuka's expression softened, and she let out a long sigh.
"…Phew. It's my cousin's wedding. Trust me, they won't miss me." Ms. Hiratsuka sadly averted her gaze, and with the cigarette in her mouth, she mumbled further.
"To be honest, I didn't even want to go. It's just a bunch of younger cousins trying to be nice, aunts yapping about marriage, and my parents... well, being my parents."
She pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and took a long drag. "Giving a gift hardly seems worth all that noise."
With a sigh, she flicked the cigarette away and crushed it under her heel.
The trio stood in awkward silence for a moment before Ryota turned to Shizuka, his face now serious.
"*ahem, Ms. Hiratsuka, I am sorry for what I did back there." He half bowed, his voice high and sincere.
R-Ryota apologised….!? Hachiman was most baffled.
It is not like this was the first time he had seen Ryota apologize to anyone. In fact, he does it so frequently that he himself received so many 'sorrys' from the dude that he forgot the count.
However, this was the first time he had seen Ryota being sincere with his apology.
Forget about the level of genuinity he is displaying now in front of his teacher, he never felt an ounce of effort in the past when uttering those many sorrys.
….
.
[To be continued…]
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