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[-Continuation-]
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[-Hachiman's POV-]
"And… here I go." Yuigahama announced as she spun it.
The spinner twirled rapidly, its pointed end, slightly sharper than usual, cutting through the air.
Wait a minute… Why does this feel so familiar?
Ah, crap. It's that cursed game - [Truth or Dare].
Yuigahama is planning to start the second Phase of the plane by herself, as she should be, but I warned her to be careful and go for it only when all the things fall into place. If not, just abandon it. But she definitely got through. Impressive.
As the spinner slowed, dread crept up on me.
The spinner slowed and finally came to a stop… ?!Pointing directly at me.
Great. Just my luck.
I opened my mouth to protest. After all, I never agreed to play this game.
But before I could say anything, Yuigahama spun the spinner again.
So I was never part of the game?
Anyway, this time, the pointer landed on Ebina.
Ebina noticed where the pointer landed and gave a small, almost resigned smile.
"Looks like it's me." She said.
Tobe, trying to read the situation, leaned in a bit. "...Is that bad?"
Ebina tilted her head slightly, tapping her chin as if she were weighing her options.
"Truth or Dare… What should I pick…" She mused out loud, clearly enjoying the suspense.
After a moment, she decided. "I will go with Truth."
"....ah." Yuigahama opened her mouth, probably about to ask something, but then hesitated, the words dying in her throat.
What's holding her back? I wondered.
Seeing an opportunity, I decided to go for it.
In my half-asleep state, my usual filters were down. I blurted out a question that seemed to surprise everyone.
"What do you think about dating someone?" My voice was still groggy from sleep, but the question was clear.
Our surroundings went silent, and everyone seemed surprised by my bluntness.
A variety of reactions spread across the group.
Tobe's eyes widened in shock, Yumiko raised an eyebrow, and Yuigahama looked slightly fidgeted.
Totsuka, as always, remained neutral, though his gaze flickered with curiosity.
Yumiko, clearly annoyed, was the first to speak up. "Who said you were even playing this game?"
I met her gaze evenly. "Who said you could sit in front of me? The same person, I suppose."
Yumiko huffed in response, but her annoyance seemed to be more for show than anything else.
"Heee… I didn't know you were that interested in my love life, Hikigaya." Ebina teased, brushing it off with a smirk.
"…Or are you interested in me?" She added, her tone playful.
"Absolutely not." I replied instantly, my voice deadpan.
"Ouch, that's a bit harsh." She said with a mock pout.
"But no, I am not interested in dating anyone right now." Ebina finally answered.
Her answer seemed to relieve the tension in the air, though it also left Tobe looking slightly deflated.
The game continued, but my mind was still reeling from how quickly things had escalated.
So much for a peaceful nap.
….
.
That should make things easier for both Ebina and Tobe, right?
I mean, at least this time Tobe will be more prepared.
I had told him before, but it was obvious he did not take me seriously.
Now, though, I think he will be ready.
And as for Ebina, well, she just gave a pretty clear signal. It should make it easier for her to turn him down, knowing he has been warned.
Ideally, this would stop Tobe from confessing at all, but let's be real - that's probably not going to happen.
You can see it in his eyes, that determined look that says. "I am not giving up."
I am also considering talking to Ebina before the whole thing goes down. If she's going to reject him, which I am almost certain she will, I want to make sure she does it in a way that doesn't completely crush him.
Not that there is such a thing as a painless rejection, but it is the least I can do for the guy.
I have got to try, even if it seems unnecessary.
….
.
The trip was roughly two hours from Tokyo in the Shinkansen.
We got off at Kyoto Station, and we headed towards the bus station while doused in the after autumn chill.
During the mid winter season, Kyoto was still breezy.
It was likely going to get even chiller during the night time.
It looked like today's schedule was to visit the Kiyomizu Temple.
One by one, each class boarded their designated bus, and soon we were on the road, gradually leaving behind the urban sprawl of Kyoto.
The bus ride was uneventful as we wound our way through the outskirts of the city, the buildings thinning out as we climbed towards the hills.
Eventually, we pulled into a large parking lot filled with tourist buses, all lined up like sardines. The sight of so many vehicles only confirmed what I already knew- Kiyomizu Temple would be crowded.
We filed out of the bus and began the ascent up the hill, the temple's roof barely visible over the sea of trees and heads.
The walk was peaceful enough, but the anticipation of the crowd ahead made it hard to fully enjoy the surroundings.
We finally made it to the entrance of the temple, but it looked like it was going to take a little longer… Right now, there were still numerous classes waiting in line at the entrance.
Resigned to the wait, I found a spot in line and spaced out, letting my thoughts drift as the line slowly inched forward.
I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't notice when someone called out to me.
"Hikki!" Yuigahama, who wasn't in line, came up to my side.
"So, how are things going over there?" I asked, keeping my tone casual but my eyes flicking to the group she'd just left.
"I just paired them up. Things should go fine." She replied with a hint of relief in her voice.
I glanced over at the group, which had naturally divided into two smaller cliques- Tobe, Ebina, and Hayama in one, and Yumiko, who seemed to be reluctantly tagging along, in the other. A few other classmates hovered around, but they were irrelevant to the situation at hand.
"You did a good job." I said, offering a rare compliment.
Yeah, even though Yuigahama had mentioned that she managed to pair them up, but from where I stood, it was clear that it hadn't been as easy as she made it sound.
The main issue? That blonde-haired girl, Yumiko.
Her stubbornness was almost impressive, like a child refusing to eat their vegetables.
Hayama had to step in eventually, volunteering to partner with her just to keep the situation from spiraling out of control.
It was a smooth move on his part, typical of Hayama, but it made me wonder- what is Yumiko's problem anyway? Why did she have to make things so difficult?
As much as I didn't want to care, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of annoyance.
Whether it was her insistence on being difficult or just her presence throwing off the balance, it was frustrating to see her complicate something that should've been simple.
Yuigahama beamed, her face lighting up with a proud smile. "Thanks! I really am great, right?"
That wasn't quite the reaction I expected, but seeing her so pleased with herself was... oddly satisfying.
It occurred to me that this might have been the first time I had actually complimented her directly.
Just then, Hayama and Yumiko went in, trailing behind Tobe and Ebina.
"Should we follow them?" Yuigahama asked, pulling me from my thoughts.
"Do we have to?" I replied, my enthusiasm for joining them hovering somewhere between zero and none.
"Well, we did buy the tickets, and it was your money, so it would be your lo-"
"Come on, what are you waiting for? Let's go." I repeated, picking up the pace.
It wasn't like I could just let my money go to waste. Besides, the sooner we got through this, the sooner I could find a quiet spot away from all this drama.
Yuigahama hurried to catch up, her earlier excitement still lingering as we followed the others toward the temple entrance.
The sign above read. "Explore the Interiors of Zugudo Hall."
I glanced down the stairs, confirming what I had expected, it was pitch dark.
If dungeons from RPGs existed in real life, this would be how they felt. The air seemed heavier, thick with the anticipation of the unknown.
"Okay, Hikki, let's get going." Yuigahama urged, her voice tinged with a mix of excitement and nervousness.
"Yeah." I responded, my tone more resigned than eager.
….
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[To be continued…]
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