.
[-Continuation-]
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[Hachiman's POV]
"Fine, fine. But don't blame me if you end up with a shelf full of cat figurines, Yukinoshita."
"I fail to see how that would be a problem." Yukinoshita replied primly, causing the rest of us to burst into laughter.
As our laughter subsided from Yukinoshita's cat figurine comment, a thoughtful expression crossed her face.
She turned to Komachi, her tone gentle but concerned. "In any case, Komachi, I know you are having a difficult time with your exams, so I am sorry that we had to call you out like this. We did invite you, but was it really okay for you to come? If by chance you are just forcing yourself, then…"
Before Komachi could respond, I quickly interjected. "No, it's perfectly fine. Everyone needs a break now and then."
"Absolutely!" Komachi chimed in, her voice bright and earnest, as if she were eager to reassure Yukinoshita.
Yukinoshita shot me a pointed glare, as if I were spoiling Komachi. "If all you do is rest, not only will you become complacent, but your knowledge will suffer."
"Ugh." I groaned, clutching my chest in an exaggerated expression of mock pain. "You sure know how to hit me right where it hurts."
Beside me, Komachi mumbled something in a small voice, seemingly affected by my words. "I wonder if Yukino's more of an education-conscious mom… A reliable older sister… One day, I want her as my Big sis."
There was a wistfulness to her tone as she looked up at Yukinoshita, her eyes sparkling with warmth.
Curiosity piqued, I raised an eyebrow at my sister. "What are you mumbling about over there?"
"Hmm? It's a secret! ♪" Komachi sent me a wink, waving her index finger.
…Damn it, this girl was too cute to the point it was irritating, seriously.
Just then, Yuigahama's eyes lit up as she spotted someone over my shoulder. "Oh, it looks like Sai's here! Hey, over here!"
Following her gaze, I noticed Totsuka sprinting toward us, an unmistakable smile plastered on his face. "Hachiman!"
"Totsuka…" I greeted him, stepping forward to close the distance.
Yuigahama waved enthusiastically. "Sai, yahallo!"
"Uh huh, yahallo!" Totsuka replied, his voice full of warmth and cheer.
Totsuka reached us, catching his breath with a bright grin. "Sorry I am late. Got caught up with something at the last minute."
"No worries," I replied, giving him a friendly pat on the back.
"Perfect timing, then!" Yuigahama said with a cheerful bounce. "We were just deciding where to go first."
Finishing the greetings, Komachi looked at both Yuigahama and Yukinoshita, seeking confirmation. "Ummm… We're going to have a Christmas party, but before that, we will be doing some shopping and buying presents for the gift exchange. Does that sound about right?"
Yuigahama nodded in response. "Uh-huh. Since we're all here now, we should get going."
"I suppose." Yukinoshita said, heading to the center of the shopping mall.
As we all began to move, Komachi looked around at our group, a warm smile spreading across her face. "You know, I am really glad I came today. It's nice seeing all of you together like this."
Her words brought a moment of contemplative silence to the group.
I found myself looking at Yukinoshita and Yuigahama, realizing how much things had changed since we first met.
"Yeah." Totsuka said softly, the sincerity in his voice. "It is nice, isn't it?"
Yuigahama beamed, throwing her arms around both of us.
"Group hug!" She declared cheerfully, pulling a surprised Komachi into the mix as well.
Nope I wasn't part of it.
….
.
As we entered the mall proper, Yuigahama's eyes went wide. "Wow! Look at all the decorations! It's so pretty in here!"
"So, where to first?" I asked quite literally unsure.
The mall was packed with people, every store was decked out in wreaths and tinsel. I looked around, taking it all in. It was my first time here, and the place was huge.
In the same way, Yukinoshita was anxiously examining the area and mumbled. "It's rather big, isn't it…? Also, there's quite a lot of people since it's Christmas as well… Just walking is tiring…"
…*sigh, Yukinoshita had no endurance and also wasn't comfortable with crowds of people.
In contrast, there was Yuigahama. "You're right! It's so lively, this actually might be kind of fun! Ah, look, there's a Santa here!"
No, girl, you are wrong.
With clear thoughts in my mind, I edged closer to Yukinoshita, trying to provide a buffer between her and the bustling crowd.
Yuigahama, having no clue yet, continued, her face lit up. "Oh! There's this super cute boutique on the second floor. They have the most adorable accessories! Can we start there?"
Yukinoshita managed to nod in agreement with her earlier summary. "That sounds like a good place to begin. Perhaps we can find some suitable gifts there as well."
There she goes. Guess, she decided to focus on the reason she came and ignore everything else.
As we made our way to the escalator, Yuigahama fell into step beside me. Her gaze was fixed on Yukinoshita and Komachi, who were chatting ahead of us. "Yukino seems to be having fun, doesn't she?"
"Yeah, she does." I replied, watching the two with a slight smile.
"Ne, Hikki." Yuigahama's voice softened. "Are you having an okay time? I know shopping isn't really your thing..."
I shrugged, aiming for nonchalance. "It's not so bad. The company makes it bearable, I suppose."
As we neared the top of the escalator, Yuigahama suddenly turned to me with an unexpected query.
"Hey, Hikki." She began, her voice carrying a hint of curiosity. "How are things progressing with Yukino?"
?!!The question hit me like a splash of cold water, especially coming from Yuigahama.
I blinked, my mind scrambling for a response that wouldn't paint me as the emotionally stunted mess I truly was.
"Uh, well..." I mumbled, suddenly finding the handrail fascinating. "I don't know? I am kind of stuck, I guess."
A voice in my head sneered - Well, I can't exactly admit I am being a coward, can I?
But no, it wasn't just about fear of rejection. Was it?
It is something more than that, which I have no control over.
"Oh, Hikki. You're still as dense as ever, aren't you?" She sighed, a soft laugh escaping her lips.
"Well, th-!" I began, but Yuigahama cut me off.
"Hikki, she likes you. I can tell." She declared with the confidence of a fortune-teller, just as we reached the top of the escalator.
I stumbled slightly, lost in thought, but as I regained my balance, the gears in my head started turning.
However, as one would expect from my thoughts, they were not concerned about the confirmation Yuigahama passed. They were more focused on her sudden actions itself.
Was this her way of giving me a nudge?
A green light to pursue Yukinoshita without worrying about hurting her feelings?
But, from the beginning, it isn't about Yuigahama moving on…. or giving up her feelings for me, or anything like that.
I think she didn't need to move on because there was nothing there, except maybe a tiny bit of guilt.
The reality was simpler, and perhaps harsher.
There was no dramatic love triangle here.
Yukinoshita and Yuigahama were friends – real, genuine friends.
And me? I was just the antisocial oddball who happened to share a club room with them.
To Yuigahama, I was probably nothing more than a familiar face, someone to banter with in the clubroom.
And you know what? That was okay.
Because the person who truly mattered to me, the one who made my heart do that annoying flutter thing, was Yukinoshita Yukino.
But Yukinoshita cherished Yuigahama's friendship fiercely.
That was the real reason I had been dragging my feet, terrified of causing a rift between them.
"Yuigaha-!" I began, but she had already dashed ahead, her excitement propelling her toward the boutique.
As we reached the store, Yuigahama's enthusiasm seemed to return in full force, leaving me bewildered by our brief but impactful exchange.
"Look, look!" She exclaimed, pointing at the window display. "Aren't those hair clips adorable? And those scarves look so soft!"
She turned to Yukinoshita and Komachi, her eyes sparkling. "Let's go in! I bet we can find perfect gifts for each other here."
"This girl, she isn't trying to get one over on me, is she?" I muttered to myself.
But part of me wondered if she was just trying to act cool, like she knew everything.
"Big bro!" Komachi called out, waving a ridiculously fluffy scarf. "Come on, you have to feel how soft this is!"
I moved towards Komachi, still processing Yuigahama's actions.
As I reached out to touch the scarf, I couldn't help but steal a glance at Yukinoshita.
Will everything be okay? Did Yuigahama really mean what she meant?
Maybe it was time to stop overthinking and just... act.
The thoughts made my heart race, but I pushed it aside for now. We were here to shop and celebrate, after all.
"You're right, Komachi." I said, running my fingers over the soft material. "It is pretty nice."
….
.
As we browsed the store, Yuigahama's attention was caught by a costumed Santa near the entrance. "Hey, hey, Yukinon, how long did you believe in Santa for?"
Yukinoshita looked into the distance and murmured. "By the time I was old enough to understand things for myself, Big sis already told me…"
"Aah, she was that kind of person after all…" I muttered sympathetically. Poor Yukinoshita.
Totsuka, who had been quietly listening, chimed in with a bashful smile. "Um... I still kind of believe in Santa."
Yuigahama's eyes widened in surprise. "Really, Sai? That's so sweet!"
I bit back a smirk, knowing that if I had said the same thing, I would have been mocked mercilessly. But Totsuka could get away with such innocent statements.
"Anyway, with the mall being so large, it's hard to know which area we should start looking around in." Yukinoshita stated as she looked around.
….
[-Third Person View-]
.
As the group decided to move separately, Yukinoshita continued to explore and found himself drifting towards a display of stuffed animals.
She was examining a particularly grumpy-looking panda when she heard Komachi's voice behind her.
"Yukino, did you see where that stupid... has wandered off to?"
Though Komachi hadn't explicitly named any, Yukinoshita understood instantly.
She raised an eyebrow, a small smile playing on her lips. "If you mean that person... He's right over there."
Komachi followed Yukinoshita's gaze, her eyes narrowing in mock irritation. "Oh, there he is. What is he doing now?"
She muttered, spotting Hachiman.
Yukinoshita smirked. "He's lurking like a suspicious figure, his disdainful eyes fixated on that adorable panda plushie. And of course, he is wearing that trademark unimpressed expression of his."
Komachi burst into laughter. "Hahaha... Oh, Yukino, you've got him nailed perfectly!" She wiped a tear from her eye, her shoulders shaking with leftover giggles.
As her laughter subsided, Komachi's expression softened, a thoughtful look crossing her features.
….
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